As Turkey urges Russia to press on Syria to hold to the tenuous cease-fire, while Sudan adjures Turkey’s assistance on its recently erupted crisis.Syria News

Istanbul / NationalTurk – Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during a conference on Syria’s fate in Istanbul.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has asked Russia via Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to apply more pressure on Damascus and Assad government to implement the Syrian cease-fire that was to have gone into effect April 12 in accordance with a plan by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.

Turkey keen on protecting Kofi Annan launched Syrian ceasefire

Ahmet Davutoğlu and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have met more than once this week, putting head together yesterday in Brussels, and the two foreign ministers discussed the state of affairs in Syria since the Kofi Annan based cease-fire.

‘ I asked him [ Sergei Lavrov ] to deliver the message to Assad led Damascus government in Syria that the ceasefire is not fully implemented. Implementation of the ceasefire in Syria is of vital importance,’ Davutoğlu told reporters travelling with Russian FM on a train from Brussels to Paris.

Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu stated that Damascus government was complaining about the Syrian opposition’s efforts to sabotage the ceasefire. He told Lavrov he would stay in touch and share information on developments on the ground. ‘ I told Lavrov that stability in Syria benefits both Turkey and Russia. That’s why we have supported Bashar al-Assad in the past. We thought he would manage to maintain stability in Syria. But now he is posing a significant risk for Syrian and regional stability.

Syrian refugees influx to Turkey expected to raise

Ahmet Davutolu also met with U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague to discuss developments in Syria. Davutoglu expressed he briefed all of the NATO ministers Wednesday night and provided them with some visual materials showing where the clashes are happening. “All of the ministers from Syria lovers expressed their support for Turkey and promised to extend their hands in the event of a major influx of refugees from Syria into Turkey,” he said.

Superfriends of Syria : To protect and spoil Syria …

Ahmet Davutoglu had a busy schedule, Turkey’s Foreign Minister also attended the third meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People and Arab League member states in Paris, with the participation of the heavyweights of the group, including representatives from 14 countries. Apart from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, French Minister of Foreign Affairs Alain Juppe, Hague and Davutoğlu, ministers from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, two main anti- Syria government states, were also present. The juggernaut group was scheduled to issue a statement on further steps the Friends of Syria would take, including some further financial and economic sanctions. The sanctions will likely be endorsed by the EU in an April 23 meeting.

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