Saudi, Turkey foreign ministers discuss Syria
August 28, 2013 by AFP
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal met Wednesday for talks on Syria with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu, as the West weighs possible military strikes against Damascus.
The ministers discussed “developments on the Syrian arena,” state news agency SPA reported, without giving further details.
Davutoglu’s visit comes as Britain said it would present a draft resolution to the UN Security Council on Wednesday urging “all necessary measures” to protect Syrian civilians, and as the US and its allies built their case for military action against Damascus over alleged chemical weapons attacks.
Saudi Arabia and Turkey are major backers of Syrian rebel forces who have been fighting to oust the regime of President Bashar al-Assad since a brutal crackdown on Arab Spring protests in 2011.
They have called for international action against the Damascus regime after the suspected chemical strikes on August 21 which are said to have killed hundreds on the outskirts of the capital.
Davutoglu has branded the attack a crime against humanity, saying it must not go unpunished.
In remarks published Monday, he said Turkey would join an international coalition against Syria even if the UN Security Council failed to reach a consensus.
Turkey — the second biggest military force in NATO — shares a 910-kilometer border with Syria.
Prince Saud on Tuesday called for “firm and serious” action against the Syrian regime over the alleged chemical weapons attack.
