Erdogan Says Assad Won’t Reform, Presses Russia, Hurriyet Says

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he doesn’t believe Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will implement a United Nations plan to end his yearlong crackdown on the opposition, Hurriyet reported.

During a meeting in Seoul, the Turkish premier pressed Russian President Dimitry Medvedev to take steps to end the violence in Syria, where the UN estimates more than 9,000 people have been killed in the past year, according to the Istanbul- based newspaper. It cited comments Erdogan made during a flight from Seoul to Tehran.

Syria accepted a six-point UN plan yesterday that was proposed by special envoy Kofi Annan. Erdogan said Assad is playing for time by agreeing to the UN plan before the Friends of Syria group of about 70 countries meet in Istanbul on April 1 to discuss steps to end the crisis, Hurriyet reported.

To contact the reporter on this story: Emre Peker in Ankara at epeker2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net