NATO chief rules out Syria intervention

Speaking in Turkey NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen reiterated his assertion that a regional solution should be found to the crisis in Syria.

He says there are key differences from Libya where NATO helped topple Colonel Gaddafi last year.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL, ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN, SAYING:

"Syria is also a different society. It is much more complicated ethnically, politically, religiously. That's why I do believe that a regional solution should be found, and I appreciate all the efforts done by the Arab League."

At a camp on the Turkey/Syria border one man explained why he defected from the Syrian army.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SYRIAN ARMY DEFECTOR NICKNAMED KHALED SAYING:

"I fled from the army because the army is not acting as it should. According to the rules in Syria, the army is supposed to protect people but they kill people who protest against the regime. Therefore when I saw a killed children on the street, I decided to flee."

About 12,000 Syrian refugees are registered in Turkey which also hosts opposition members from the Syrian National Council.

Once a staunch ally of President Bashar al-Assad, Turkey now strongly condemns his government's bloody crackdown and has called for the Syrian leader to step down.

Lily Grimes, Reuters