Annan to visit Turkey amid ongoing Syria crisis

PanARMENIAN.Net - UN-Arab League special envoy on Syria Kofi Annan, who completed talks in Damascus, is expected to visit Turkey on Monday, March 12, Turkish officials said.

Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Annan will arrive in Ankara late on Monday and leave the country on Tuesday after having talks with top Turkish officials.

Annan, who was appointed special envoy last month, phoned Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and told him that he would like to visit Turkey as part of his tour of regional countries. Davutoğlu said Turkey would welcome his visit.

Annan met with embattled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad on Saturday to discuss the ongoing crisis in the country. In his talks with Assad, Annan made several proposals towards ending the country's yearlong political crisis. He was rebuffed by the President, who rejected any immediate negotiations with the opposition, striking a further blow to already staggering international efforts for talks to end the conflict.

Assad told Annan that a political solution is impossible so long as "terrorist groups" threaten the country.

UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos was also in Turkey last week and had talks with Davutoğlu over Syria, Today’s Zaman reported.