Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Photo: wiki commons.

Time – Turkey and Norway on Monday closed their embassies in Damascus, citing the worsening security situation in Syria.

Turkey’s move comes two days after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country, once close to Damascus and now one of its most vocal critics, was on the brink of breaking diplomatic ties.

Activities at the Turkish embassy in the Syrian capital are being “temporarily suspended,” but Turkey’s consulate in Aleppo will remain operational, a brief statement posted on the embassy’s website said Sunday night. The country also called back its ambassador and other diplomats as relations between the former allies continue to deteriorate.
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