Turkish Prime Minister expected to visit Iran

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is scheduled to pay a two-day visit to neighboring Iran this week, his office said, according to Hurriyet Daily News.

Davutoğlu will visit Tehran on March 4 and 5, sources from his office told reporters, without elaborating.

Tehran, along with Russia, supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey is among his most outspoken critics, backing the Sunni opposition. Turkey is also close to Saudi Arabia, which has cut its diplomatic ties with Iran.

Davutoğlu’s visit comes days before UN-backed Syrian peace talks, which were suspended last month because of continuing fighting, are expected to resume in Geneva.

However, the Syrian opposition cast doubt on whether the talks would proceed on March 9 as planned, as rebels said they were under fierce government attack near the Turkish border despite an agreement to cease hostilities.