U.S., Turkey to work together on Syria

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ISTANBUL, Turkey, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- The United States and Turkey plan to coordinate support for the Syrian rebels, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Turkish counterpart said Saturday.

Clinton and Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey's foreign minister, said details still need to be worked out, the Voice of America reported. Clinton said U.S. aid will be non-lethal, including an additional $5.5 million for Syrian refugees.

The Free Syrian Army is already using Turkey as a base. Davutoglu said the number of refugees has increased, with 3,000 people crossing the border each day.

Asked about a no-fly zone like the one imposed in Libya, Clinton said no decision had been made.

"The issues you posed in your question are exactly the ones the minister and I have agreed need greater in-depth analysis," she said. "It is one thing to talk about all kinds of potential action. You cannot make reasoned decisions without doing intense analysis and operational planning."

Clinton was also scheduled to meet with President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Although the United States, United Nations and numerous Western countries have imposed sanctions on Syria, President Bashar Assad has maintained a military bombardment against rebels who first rose up after a crackdown on peaceful demonstrations in March 2011.

The situation is tangled in international relations.

U.S. and other countries' intelligence agencies have said Iran is supplying arms and training to the Syrians. On Friday, Washington alleged the Lebanese Hezbollah Islamist movement was also aiding Assad's government.