Turkey Compares Syrian Conflict to 1990s Balkans Turkey says a lack of international consensus over Syria is emboldening the government there to proceed with a crackdown that has killed thousands of people. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says the scale of the killing matches the bloodshed in the Balkans wars of the 1990s, and describes the Syrian regime's actions as a "crime against humanity." Davutoglu spoke Saturday at a joint news conference with his Italian counterpart, Giulio Terzi. Both ministers criticized Syria for blocking a Red Cross convoy from delivering badly needed aid to a rebellious neighborhood in the central city of Homs.