Fierce crackdown

The United States and the European Union have accused Syria of unleashing a humanitarian crisis and urged President Bashar al Assad to allow the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered access within the country's northern region where violence has escalated.

"Syrian leaders have no excuse for denying humanitarian assistance by a neutral body like the ICRC," the White House said in a statement.

"If Syria's leaders fail to provide this access, they will once again be showing contempt for the dignity of the Syrian people."

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said she was "deeply concerned by the worsening humanitarian situation" and called on Damascus to allow international human rights monitors and humanitarian agencies into the country.

"I deplore the escalating use of brutal force against protesters in Syria in recent days," Ashton said. "I reiterate my repeated calls on the Syrian authorities to change course."

Helicopter attacks

Syria's attacks on its own people have driven over 4,000 people to leave their homes in search of refuge in neighboring Turkey. The Turkish Red Crescent has set up tent camps for the people who have already arrived and is making arrangements to host roughly 9,000 more.

"Turkey welcomed a great many number of guests in the past in their times of most dire need. We can do that again," Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Halit Cevik was quoted as saying by the state-run Anatolian news agency.

Syrian government forces reportedly used helicopters to attack pro-democracy demonstrators in several clashes across the country on Friday, killing dozens of people.

Some of the worst violence took place in the northwestern town of Jisr al-Shughur, near the border with Turkey.

Human rights activists said at least 25 people were killed across Syria on Friday, including 11 in the northwest of the country.

State television reported that the assault on Jisr al-Shughur was "at the request of residents" to take care of the "armed gangs." Activists said the town was largely deserted after most of the 50,000 residents fled. Many have crossed the border into Turkey.

State television on Wednesday also broadcast images of "massacres" in the town, accusing "armed terrorist gangs" of killing 120 police officers and soldiers.

Opposition activists said the deaths were due to a mutiny when troops refused to fire on protesters.

People across towns and cities in Syria took to the streets in protest after Friday prayers, chanting slogans against President Bashar al-Assad and in support of Jisr al-Shughur residents.

News agencies quoted witnesses as saying helicopter gunships fired at protesters in Maaret al-Numan. According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the helicopters opened fire on a police station that had been taken over by protesters.

The Turkish government, normally friendly with the Syrian regime, issued its harshest condemnation of the violence yet. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Syrian forces "do not behave humanely" and that the crackdown would "necessarily" lead to action by the United Nations Security Council.

UN talks stall

Britain, France, Germany and Portugal are pushing for the UN Security Council (UNSC) to adopt a draft resolution that would condemn Syria's crackdown and suggest that its security forces might be responsible for crimes against humanity. The resolution would not impose sanctions.

The European quartet convened UNSC talks on Saturday with the aim of breaking a deadlock over the language of the resolution. But permanent veto-wielding UNSC members China and Russia did not attend.

"Russia and China didn't think it necessary to show up," a council diplomat told the news agency Reuters.

"It's a pretty clear message," another diplomat said.

The United States has not sponsored the resolution but made clear that it supports the text. Russia and China have suggested they might use their veto power to block it. Lebanon, India, Brazil and South Africa have also expressed reservations over the text.

Meanwhile UN officials said Assad has refused to take phone calls from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who reiterated on Friday that "the use of military force against civilians is unacceptable."

At least 1,100 people have been killed and more than 10,000 detained since anti-government protests began in mid-March, according to rights groups and activists. However, because of restrictions on journalists in the country, reports are difficult to verify.

Author: Andrew Bowen, Spencer Kimball (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

Editor: Chuck Penfold