Gul: Iran, Russia will change toward Syria

• Tweet

ANKARA, Turkey, March 3 (UPI) -- Iran and Russia's only choice is to join the international opposition to President Bashar Assad's regime in Syria, Turkish President Abdullah Gul says.

In a statement Friday, Gul said he expected the leaders of both countries to change their views on Assad, given the rising violence in Syria, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported. Russia and China have used their vetoes on the U.N. Security Council to block a motion that would allow sanctions against Syria.

Unconfirmed reports from the Syrian Network for Human Rights said 44 army recruits were summarily executed early Saturday at Abu Athuhoor Military Airport in Idlib. The network said 50 soldiers planned to defect to the opposition but were tricked by a captain who pretended to be joining them and instead reported their plans to Brig. Gen. Bassam Abbas.

In its report Friday, the network listed 65 deaths, 26 of them in Homs. Many of the victims were civilians, including children.