TIRANA, Albania, 6 October 2012 – The Standing Committee of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly today voted to call for all member countries to condemn in the strongest terms the deadly attack Syrian armed forces carried out on civilians in the Turkish town of Akcakale.

The nine-paragraph resolution authored by Emin Onen (MP, Turkey) generated widespread support from parliamentarians incensed by the lack of international response to the ongoing crisis in Syria.

The resolution reaffirms the United Nations Security Council statement that the crisis in Syria has an impact on security in neighboring countries as well as regional peace and stability.

The resolution also demands that "such violations of international law stop immediately" and urges Syria to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of its neighbors.

The Standing Committee is comprised of the heads of each of the 55 national delegations to the Parliamentary Assembly as well as bureau members. The committee has the power to adopt urgent resolutions by consensus-minus-one. Five delegations took the floor to express support for the urgent item. The meeting occurred on the final business day of the Assembly's Fall Meetings taking place in Tirana.