Turkey will join an international coalition against Syria even if the UN Security Council does not reach consensus on the issue of an armed intervention in the war-torn country, its foreign minister said in an interview published Monday.
"If a coalition is formed against Syria in this process, Turkey will take part in it," Ahmet Davutoglu told the Milliyet newspaper, according to AFP.
UN experts are due to begin investigating an alleged Syrian chemical attack on Monday, a day after the Syrian authorities allowed the UN team to have access to the site, located in the Damascus suburbs.
Syria's opposition and activists say at least 1,300 people died when forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad unleashed chemical weapons against rebel-held suburbs east and southwest of Damascus Wednesday. Medecines Sans Frontieres said 355 people died of "neurotoxic" symptoms, after smuggling out tissue samples from victims.
Damascus has strongly denied it carried out such an attack, instead blaming the rebels.
A sceptical Washington, said to be weighing military action and coordinating with its allies, said Damascus' acceptance of the UN probe came 'too late'.
Davutoglu, whose country is one of the biggest critics of Assad's regime, said Turkey was awaiting the results of the UN inspection.
"After the inspection, the United Nations needs to make a decision on sanctions. If there's no such decision, other options will be on the agenda," the foreign minister said, according to AFP.
"36-37 countries have already been discussing these options," he added.
