Syria crisis

The Gulf States have agreed to support the Syrian opposition with $200 million (150 million euros). The money is partly to be used for paying the salaries of the Free Syrian Army made up of Syrian defectors. The soldiers are fighting the troops of dictator Bashar al Assad yet are hopelessly outnumbered and not well equipped.

Yet whether the money is also to go into purchasing weapons for the rebel troops remains unclear. Some opposition politicians of the Syrian National Council (SNC) have on the sidelines of the Istanbul conference openly called for that. The US pledged to support the opposition not with money but modern means of communication.

Those moves though are seen by some commentators to go against the peace plan proposed by UN special envoy Kofi Annan. The leading Turkish journalist Cengiz Candar described the direction taken at the conference as "undermining" Annan's efforts at a peaceful solution to the crisis.

Turkey losing patience

Host country Turkey also seemed to tentatively support a military strategy. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu signaled his understanding for the opposition's need for more weapons. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan openly warned China and Russia to continue protecting Syria on the international stage. Should the UN Security Council not live up to its responsibilities, the Syrian people had a right to defend themselves, Erdogan said.

But Turkey still wants to give the Annan plan a chance. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle in Istanbul also called for giving the UN plan at least a try. Yet it is obvious that Ankara is losing patience with Damascus. Since the beginning of the crisis last year, Assad was using every round of negotiations merely to win time, Davutoglu said. In light of Turkey's 900 kilometer (560 miles) long border with Syria, Ankara says it can not afford to just sit back and wait for the results of drawn-out diplomatic efforts.

Crucial weeks

The development of the coming weeks is likely to be crucial: a next meeting of the "Friends of Syria" group of some 80 states and organizations is scheduled to take place in Paris. Many within the Syrian opposition expect that this conference will have to be followed by actions rather than just renewed calls on Assad.

How those actions could be coordinated was also on agenda at the Istanbul conference. The options range from setting up corridors for humanitarian aid to the creation of a safe buffer zone on Syrian territory to sending international peace troops to the country.

Some opposition members are even calling for targeted air strikes to hit key sites of the regime. Also the use of unmanned drones like in Pakistan and Afghanistan is being suggested by some. Rather than being resolved quickly, the crisis in Syria appears likely to heat up in the coming months.

Author: Thomas Seibert / ai
Editor: Michael Knigge