Turkish president warns of radicalization in Syria

Turkish President Abdullah Gul Friday warned of a growing threat of radicalization in Syria as the country's conflict shows no sign of end anytime soon. Gul made the remarks at the two-day Istanbul Forum held with the topic of "Transition and Crisis in the Middle East." Addressing more than 300 participants from 30 countries, Gul said: "The war in Syria is getting deeper and deeper every day. If it lasts longer than expected, we should be prepared for more actions of radicalization." He urged the international community to take urgent steps to end the conflict in Syria and clean the whole region of chemical weapons as soon as possible. "This is the only solution for the moment at hand to bring more stability to the region and the only way to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East." Also, he noted the world order has changed and the power of balance has shifted from the United States and European countries to Asia. "During this transition process, it is very normal that instability rises in different parts of the world," he said, adding that in this new world order, democracy has gained an important momentum.      Turkish president warns of radicalization in Syria What is happening in Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria reflects their peoples' demand for more democratic societies, Gul added. "All they need is a representational system respecting human dignity. It is inevitable for these countries to profoundly change their understanding of state and government systems," he said.