Ahmet Davutoglu (right) said he hoped for a peaceful transition in Bashar al-Assad's Syria
He was speaking after talks with Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu,
who had urged Syria to end military operations against civilian
demonstrators.
Security forces meanwhile continued the crackdown, and reports say nearly 30 more people were killed.
More than 1,700 civilians are believed to have been killed since the uprising began in mid-March.
Tens of thousands of people have reportedly been arrested.
Meanwhile, the United States is reported to be preparing to impose new sanctions on the Assad regime.
The US would target "major elements of Syria's financial and
commercial infrastructure that are providing critical support to the
regime," a US official said.
'Concrete steps'
Mr Assad's comments came after the meeting with Mr Davutoglu in Damascus on Tuesday.
The official Syrian account of their talks quoted Mr Assad as
saying security forces would "not relent in pursuing terrorist groups"
to ensure the stability of the nation and the safety of its citizens.
The Syrians quoted Mr Davutoglu as saying he was not carrying
a message from anyone, and that Syria would be an example to the whole
region once Mr Assad's reforms were enacted.
In his turn, Mr Davutoglu, who had helped improve ties
between Ankara and Damascus, said the pair discussed "concrete steps"
for Damascus to halt the killing of civilians.
Speaking to reporters on his return to Ankara, he described
the methods used by the Syrian security forces as "unacceptable" and
outlined actions that Syria had to take to stop the bloodshed.
"We discussed ways to prevent confrontation between the army
and the people, and tensions like those in (the central city of) Hama,
in the most open and clear way," he said.
"The coming days will be important to see if the expectations
are being met. We hope that internal peace and calm is achieved and
steps for reform are taken."
Ambassadors recalled
Ahead of his visit, Turkey's top diplomat had been told by
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to pass on a "tough" message,
demanding an end to Syria's military operations against civilian
demonstrators.
Over the weekend, Mr Erdogan said not only that he had "run
out of patience", but also that from Turkey's point of view the Syrian
crisis was almost an internal problem - their shared border is more than
800km (500 miles) long, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Istanbul.
The army has been deployed to crush dissent in the restive cities of Hama, Homs and Deir al-Zour
Many Turks sympathise with anti-government protesters in Syria
and there is burning anger at what is happening, our correspondent says.
Since Saturday, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait have
recalled their ambassadors and demanded an immediate end to the use of
military force against civilians.
Envoys from India, Brazil and South Africa are also due in Damascus this week to appeal for an end to the killing of protesters.
Efforts to persuade Syria's government to halt the crackdown
have had little effect in the past week, during which more than 300
civilians are believed to have been killed, including at least 14 on
Monday.
On Tuesday, at least seven people were killed when troops
backed by tanks and armoured vehicles overran towns and villages outside
Hama, including Soran, Halfaya and Taybat al-Imam, where snipers have
been deployed on roofs.
Two sisters aged six and 11 were reportedly among the five
dead brought to a hospital in Taybat al-Imam, while the Syrian National
Organisation for Human Rights told Reuters news agency that at least 26
people had died.
At least three others were reportedly killed in the town of
Binnish, in Idlib governorate, about 30km (19 miles) from the border
with Turkey, in a similar attack.
Asked why Binnish was stormed, a resident who had fled told
Reuters: "The whole town has been joining in night rallies after Ramadan
prayers."
The army also continued its operation to crush dissent in the
eastern city of Deir al-Zour, where more than 60 civilians are said to
have been killed since Sunday.
The Local Co-ordination Committees, an activist group that
organises and documents the protests, said that more than 200 tanks had
been deployed in the centre, and that security forces were carrying out
raids and detaining residents.
Deaths were also reported in Homs and the Damascus suburb of Irbin.
Access to Syria has been severely restricted for
international journalists, and it is rarely possible to verify accounts
by witnesses and activists.
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