U.S. Vice President Joe Biden called on Syria's embattled President Bashard al-Assad to step down.<br/> Biden is in Istanbul for meetings with Turkish leaders.<br/> SOUNDBITE: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden saying:<br/> "We stand with Turkey and a growing chorus of nations, in calling for President Assad to step aside. And I welcome the Human Rights Council's condemnation yesterday of the regime's violence."<br/> The UN's human rights forum says Syria is responsible for "gross and systematic" violations and has imprisoned at least 14,000 people since the unrest began.<br/> Biden's two day trip to Turkey is part of an effort to nurture ties with Ankara. Turkey, a NATO member is considered a strategic ally to the United States in the Middle East.<br/> Once a close ally of Syria, Turkey's decision to support Arab League imposed economic sanctions signaled a clear departure with the past. The move also underscored the mounting pressure on Syria to stop its crackdown on protesters.<br/> Deborah Gembara, Reuters.
