Arab League, Turkey Predict Assad’s Demise - Middle East
The head of the Arab League has said the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad cannot last for long in an interview published in the pan-Arab newspaper al-Hayat on Tuesday. The statement echoed a similar statement made Monday night by Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, saying the uprising against Assad is “closer than ever to victory” and warning that Turkey will respond firmly to any hostility from Syria.
Speaking after an Arab League meeting which called on Assad to step down, Secretary General Nabil Elaraby also said the time for talking about political reform was over. “There is now no talk about political reform, but a transfer of power,” he said.
Arab League ministers who convened in Doha on Sunday called on Assad to relinquish power, adding that the Arab League would help to provide a safe exit for him and his family.
Asked how long the Assad administration could survive, Elaraby told al-Hayat: “I cannot define a period, but the regime cannot continue for a long time.”