Asia

Home page

Asia

Civilian killings in Syria unacceptable: Annan

12 March 2012 22:11 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. special envoy to Syria Kofi Annan stressed Monday here that civilian killings in Syria can not be accepted and violence there must be ended, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Annan, after a two-day visit to unrest-hit Syria, arrived in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Monday.

Speaking at Esenboga Airport in Ankara, Annan said he would have a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to focus on the humanitarian aid access to Syria.

A political process would be launched in order to reach a solution on the Syrian issue, said Annan.

The former UN chief is also expected to meet with some Syrian opposition representatives based in Turkey.

Annan’s tour came after UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos’ visit to Turkey last week. Amos also earlier visited Syria, where she agreed on a "limited assessment" exercise on a joint preliminary humanitarian access mission to ensure relief delivery to Syria’s restive regions such as the central city of Homs.

In Ankara, Amos asked for cooperation on humanitarian access to Syria, while Turkey as a neighboring country pledged its support on the issue, a Turkish diplomat told Xinhua on anonymity.

Turkey, once a close ally to Syria, has been at the forefront of international criticism against the Syrian government’s alleged crackdown on protests, which have claimed over 7,500 lives since the start of the turmoil in mid-March last year, according to UN figures.