Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is facing mounting international pressure to end his crackdown on dissent as the death toll from the country's violence continues to rise.

The U.N. General Assembly's human rights committee voted Tuesday to “strongly condemn” Syria's deadly crackdown on dissent.

The U.N. resolution calls on Damascus to implement an Arab League initiative that would allow the league to send monitors to Syria. The pan-Arab group, which has suspended Syria's membership, plans to meet on Thursday to discuss the country's crisis.

Amnesty International welcomed Tuesday's U.N. committee vote. The rights group has accused Syrian authorities of human rights violations.

Syrian activists say security forces killed at least 12 people across the country on Tuesday, including several children. The U.N. says the government crackdown has resulted in more than 3,500 deaths over the past eight months.

Earlier in the day, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Mr. Assad to step down. In a televised speech, he said the Syrian president should cede power for the welfare of his own people and the region.

On Monday, relations between the neighboring countries became more strained after gunmen in northern Syria fired on a convoy of buses carrying Turkish pilgrims. Two Turkish citizens were wounded.