Erdogan to Assad: Era of oppressive dictators is past

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday, telling him the era of oppressive dictators is past. Erdogan, who is in Tripoli on the final leg of his “Arab Spring” tour, hailed the advent of democracy in Libya and the “memory of martyrs who sacrificed themselves for their country and their religion.” “You have proved in the eyes of the world that there is no regime that can go against the will of the people. This is what those who oppress the people of Syria should realize. “This kind of leader should understand that his time is past because the era of repressive regimes has ended,” Erdogan said. The Arab Spring” tour of Erdogan has taken him first to Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.