Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, escalated on Tuesday the rhetoric against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, warning him that Syria was on a "knife edge".

Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, escalated on Tuesday the rhetoric against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, warning him that Syria was on a "knife edge".

Erdogan said he “no longer had confidence in the Syrian regime”, saying Assad's actions threatened to place him on a list of leaders who "feed on blood".

"Bashar Assad should see the tragic ends of the ones who declared war against their own people," Erdogan told MPs of his AK Party. "I want to remind him that future cannot be built on the blood of the oppressed".
History, Erdogan added, "will mark these leaders as the leaders who feed on blood".

Meanwhile, Turkey's energy minister announced that joint oil exploration projects with Syria had been halted.
Taner Yildiz also threatened to stop Turkey's electricity exports to Syria.
"Right now, we are providing electricity" to Syria, Mr Yildiz said. "If [Syria] continues on this course, then we might have to reconsider these decisions".

For its part, the White House said it welcomed the "strong stance Turkey has taken".
"Turkey's comments today further point to the fact that President Assad is isolated", President Obama's deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters.