Syria's biggest trade partner Turkey suspended all financial credit dealings with it on Wednesday and froze its government's assets, joining the Arab League in isolating President Bashar al-Assad over his military crackdown on opponents. The government of regional transport hub Dubai said airlines based in the United Arab Emirates would stop flying to Syria, part of a decisive break with Assad's government among countries in the Middle East after eight months of violence.
Syria held military funerals for 14 members of the army and security forces, marking the rising cost of its battle to smother a revolution inspired by uprisings across the Arab world that toppled the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya this year. Announcing Ankara's new measures, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a news conference Turkey would block delivery of all weapons and military supplies to Syria. Relations with Syria's central bank were suspended and a co-operation agreement was halted until there was a new government in place.
"Until a legitimate government which is at peace with its people is in charge in Syria, the mechanism of the High Level of Strategic Co-operation has been suspended," Davutoglu said, adding Assad's government had come "to the end of the road". Muslim Turkey, which last year had $2.5 billion in bilateral trade with Syria, was once one of Assad's closest allies, but Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan lost patience with him. Turkey now hosts Syrian army defectors and an umbrella opposition group.