ANKARA, Feb 25: Syrian President Bashar al Assad has said in an interview with a Turkish newspaper that he wants direct dialogue with the United States in hopes of easing mounting tension between the two countries.

"Talks on security issues must not be broken. The only way to do this is through dialogue," Mr Bashar said in an interview published in the daily Hurriyet newspaper on Friday.

"We are seeking this, but cannot find the same attitude in some US circles," he added. Damascus and Washington have had stormy ties for years, but the situation has deteriorated since the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut on Feb 14.

The United States, which has implicated Syria in the killing, has since hardened its tone and called for the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. -AFP