Syria Activists to Hold 'National Salvation Conference' in Damascus, Istanbul

Syrian opposition activists have called for a simultaneous "Conference of National Salvation" to be held on Saturday in Damascus and Istanbul to look at ways to oust President Bashar al-Assad.

A statement said the conference will be held simultaneously in both cities "to draw up a road map that will bring the country out of despotism towards democracy and define the mechanism to overthrow the regime (as) sought by the (people of the) Syrian street."

Neighboring Turkey has seen thousands of Syrians flee there, seeking sanctuary from violence in their homeland.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has spoken of the need for Assad to announce "without further delay a calendar of reforms."

In an interview published on Thursday, U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford warned Assad and his regime that "the street will wash them away" unless they adopt reforms at "the speed demanded by the street protesters."

Ford has become an irritation for Syrian authorities since July 7 when he visited Hama, which has developed into an opposition stronghold.

A crowd of pro-regime supporters attacked the U.S. embassy in Damascus during demonstrations against the United States on Monday, triggering an angry response from Washington.

Since the protests began on March 15, violence has killed 1,419 civilians and 352 members of the security forces, while more than 1,300 people have been arrested, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Syria blames what it calls "armed gangs" and Muslim extremists for the violence.