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                 Obama, Erdogan Discuss Turkish Protests, Syria

   by Reuters

   U.S. President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan
   this week spoke about recent unrest in Turkey, the White House said on
   Tuesday, discussing the situation for the first time since protests
   erupted in late May.

   In a phone call on Monday, "the two leaders discussed the importance of
   non-violence and of the rights to free expression and assembly and a
   free press," the White House said in a statement.

   The United States has repeatedly expressed concern about Turkey's
   crackdown on protesters but Monday's phone call is the first time the
   two leaders have spoken directly since the conflict began.

   The protests initially began when police used force against campaigners
   opposed to plans to develop Istanbul's Gezi Park but they quickly
   evolved into a broad show of anger at what critics call Erdogan's
   growing authoritarianism.

   On Tuesday, the anti-government protests continued as police detained
   20 people in raids in the capital Ankara. So far, four people have been
   killed and 7,500 injured, the Turkish Medical Association estimates.

   Erdogan has called the protests a plot against Turkey and has defended
   the police response, which has included tear gas and water canons.

   Obama and Erdogan also discussed Syria, "including the regime's use of
   chemical weapons against its own people," the White House said.

   The two leaders said they were committed to "pursuing a political
   solution" in Syria and the need to support opposition groups "to
   improve their effectiveness," the statement said.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-erdogan-discuss-turkish-protests-syria/1688780.html