Turkish PM, chief of military staff meet on Syria

Turkey’s Chief of military staff General Necdet Ozel has briefed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the current situation in neighboring Syria. The three-hour long meeting, which was held in Erdogan’s residence on Tuesday, came two days after the National Security Council (MGK) headed by President Abdullah Gul held talks on the Syrian crisis. The meetings were held days after gunmen using Turkish speed boats and weapons attacked a Syrian military unit near the port city of Latakia. Several soldiers were killed and many others were injured in the seaborne assault. Despite the rhetoric of support for peace in Syria, Turkey has been supporting armed groups seeking to topple the government of President Bashar al-Assad and plays host to the terrorist Free Syrian Army. Turkey is also accused of allowing weapons and funds to flow to insurgents throughout the 13-month-old unrest in Syria. Reports also suggest that Qatar has built up an anti-Syrian mercenary force based in Turkey, with Ankara's knowledge, to topple the Damascus government. The heavily-equipped terrorist Free Syrian Army has also taken up positions in the southern Turkish town of Antakya in the border province of Hatay.