"If conditions aggravate in Syria, we are planning to shift (road) transport to Iraq by opening new gates," Transport Minister Binali Yildirim was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency.
Turkey's move comes after Arab foreign ministers agreed on Sunday a list of sweeping sanctions designed to cripple the regime of
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor...
, which has defied international pressure to halt a bloody crackdown on protests.
Yildirim said the Arab sanctions against Damascus
...Capital of the last overtly fascist regime in the world...
were not yet fully implemented.
"Turkey is supporting this work (Arab League
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
decision) to some extent but our principle is that the restrictions to be imposed should never victimize the Syrian people," he warned.
Syria is a transit country for Turkey's trade with Middle Eastern countries. Turkey and Syria, one time allies, abolished visa requirements in 2009.
Ankara has been increasingly strident in its criticism of the Syrian regime, and has already halted joint oil exploration and threatened to cut electricity supplies.