Annan invites Turkey to meeting on Syria, in Geneva

As tension which has brought Turkey and Syria on the verge of war escalates, United Nations-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan has invited Turkey to a meeting on Syria to be held in Geneva on Saturday, while Iran has not been included in the list.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu will have a chance for face-to-face talks about Syria’s shooting down of a Turkish jet with Annan and UN Security Council members. Annan had wanted to invite Iran to the meeting, saying that “all the parties regarding Syria should have right to voice”; however, as the U.S called it ‘red line’, Iran was not invited.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Assad’s strong ally Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will attend the meeting. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and Qatar are also expected to participate.

While a call for ending violence and starting a political dialog between all Syrian parties is the purpose of the meeting, all countries except for Russia agree that Annan’s plan does not work.

Another “Friends of Syria” meeting on Syria is going to be held on July 6 in Paris, France. During both meetings Davutoglu will reiterate Turkey’s request for condemning Syria’s attack on Turkish jet.

Friends of Syria are getting ready to recognize Syrian National Council as sole representative of Syrian people at the meeting to which foreign ministers of over 100 countries will attend

28.06.2012
SOURCE: DUNYA.COM