Ahmet Davutoglu discusses situation in Syria with Iranian officials

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey had talks with Iranian officials, including Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has much influence on the Syrian regime, to discuss recent developments in Turkey's southern neighbour.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that it is very important for the dynamic transformation process in the Middle East to be shaped by developments in the region, as opposed to outside actors.

Davutoglu's remarks came as tensions between Syria and the United States flared on Monday, July 11 after loyalists of the Syrian regime attacked the US Embassy in Damascus. The United States, which sees Syria as a fragile but crucial element of any lasting Middle East peace equation, had been reluctant to demand that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad step aside, but US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's comments on Monday indicated Washington's patience had run out.

“If anyone, including President Assad, thinks that the United States is secretly hoping that the regime will emerge from this turmoil to continue its brutality and repression, they are wrong,” Clinton said. “President Assad is not indispensable and we have absolutely nothing invested in him remaining in power.”

The Turkish foreign minister said the officials sought ways to coordinate efforts in reform processes in these countries. “Syria is a close friend of both Iran and Turkey, which has close relations with the two countries. It is important for us that there are no more civilian deaths and that the country starts work on reforms as soon as possible,” Today's Zaman quoted Davutoglu as saying.