Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım says the use of chemical weapon against civilians in a Damascus suburb is "unforgivable" but says Turkey is urging all sides to refrain from actions that will cause further turmoil in Syria.
Yıldırım on Friday again condemned the "heinous" the attack in Douma and said the perpetrators should "pay a price."
"However ... any action that would lead to the failure or harm activities led by Turkey, Iran and Russia toward a lasting peace should be avoided," Yıldırım said. He was referring to the three countries' efforts to reduce violence in Syria.
Syrian opposition activists and medics say a suspected gas attack last week killed more than 40 people in Douma.
The Assad regime has been blamed for a chemical attack Saturday night in the city of Douma in Eastern Ghouta, killing 78 civilians and injuring hundreds of others, according to the White Helmets civil defense agency,
On April 4, Turkey hosted a tripartite summit on Syria where Turkish, Russian, and Iranian leaders agreed to fight separatism in Syria and also stressed the need for more humanitarian assistance.
- US, RUSSIAN TENSIONS
On Thursday Russia called for the UN Security Council to hold an emergency session amid tensions over the Douma attack.
The meeting is meant to address the possibility of U.S. military action in response to the Assad regime's alleged use of chemical weapons.
Earlier Thursday, Trump appeared to walk back previous comments warning Russia to brace for missiles which he said "will be coming."
"Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all!" Trump said Thursday on Twitter.
Later, he told reporters a decision will "be made fairly soon".
U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said Thursday that Trump has yet to decide on whether he will pursue military action in Syria.
