US strike a 'late intervention' says Turkish minister

ANKARA

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday described a U.S. missile strike on a Syrian regime airbase as a "late intervention" to stop further war crimes from being committed by the Bashar al-Assad government.

Cavusoglu said Assad should have been removed at the time of “previous, brutal killings”.

Speaking in an interview with al-Jazeera, he also said Turkey thought the U.S. actions was “appropriate” and called for a transitional government in Syria – without Assad.

The U.S. fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian military air base American officials believe was used to carry out a deadly chemical attack Tuesday.

More than 100 civilians were reportedly killed and 500 others -- mostly children -- were injured in the attack on Khan Shaykhun town in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib.

Aircraft, hardened aircraft shelters, petroleum and logistical storage, ammunition supply bunkers, air defense systems and radars were targeted, the Pentagon said.

Pointing to the importance of safe zones in Syria, Cavusoglu said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had spoken to his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on the issue.

"The Trump administration is very determined in this regard," Cavusoglu added.

"In Europe, the number of countries that support this safe zone idea has begun to increase,” the Turkish minister said, adding: “Turkey's proposal has started to get more support."

He said Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were willing to financially support safe zones in Syria.

The Syrian regime has denied allegations it used chemical weapons.

Last year, a UN-appointed investigation panel found that chemical weapons were mainly used by regime forces in 2014 and 2015. No punitive measures were taken, however.

*Reporting by Meltem Bulur and Erkan Avci; Writing by Ilker Girit