Assad 'not less dangerous' than ISIL, Turkish FM claims

ANKARA

President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria is "not less dangerous" than the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

Speaking in a televised interview Wednesday evening, Cavusoglu said Assad’s forces were responsible of 200,000 deaths since the outbreak of civil war three years ago.

He also criticized the UN for its "passivity" over Syria and said safe havens for refugees protected by a no-flight zone were "a must."

He called for support for the Free Syrian Army, adding: "The Free Syrian Army is not only fighting the regime but also ISIL, Hezbollah and foreign fighters, and it needs support."

The Free Syrian Army, mostly comprised of soldiers who defected from the Syrian armed forces, has been the main opposition group to receive support from the West.

www.aa.com.tr/en

ANKARA

President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria is "not less dangerous" than the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

Speaking in a televised interview Wednesday evening, Cavusoglu said Assad’s forces were responsible of 200,000 deaths since the outbreak of civil war three years ago.

He also criticized the UN for its "passivity" over Syria and said safe havens for refugees protected by a no-flight zone were "a must."

He called for support for the Free Syrian Army, adding: "The Free Syrian Army is not only fighting the regime but also ISIL, Hezbollah and foreign fighters, and it needs support."

The Free Syrian Army, mostly comprised of soldiers who defected from the Syrian armed forces, has been the main opposition group to receive support from the West.