Annan pushes to bring everyone on the table

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Former UN chief Annan says he is hopeful that aid would be provided to Syrians.

Upon arriving in Ankara yesterday, the U.N.-Arab League envoy for the Syrian crisis, Kofi Annan, expressed his optimism that the bloodshed in Syria can be stopped and humanitarian aid provided to the Syrian people.

“We’re pressing for that,” Annan replied to a reporter asking whether he was hopeful that humanitarian assistance would be provided to Syrians. “I think we all have to understand that this is a complex situation. We’re going to press ahead and try and make sure that humanitarian access is open and that killings of Syrians are stopped,” Annan added. He is working to bring everyone to the table to find a solution, Annan said. “It’s not going to be easy. It’s going to take time, hopefully not much time.”

Annan briefs Erdoğan
Annan met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu late yesterday to brief them about his meetings in Syria and to discuss ways to negotiate with Syrians to stop the bloodshed and provide humanitarian aid to Syrians. Although Annan had said he would like to visit the Syrian refugee camps in the southern province of Hatay, his tight schedule may not allow for a camp visit, a Turkish official said. Mediating on behalf of the U.N. and the Arab League, Annan left Damascus on March 11 without reaching an accord to end the violence in Syria. After leaving Damascus, Annan traveled to Qatar on March 11 before coming to Turkey. Meanwhile, Turkish ambassador to Syria Ömer Önhon returned to Damascus yesterday after a two-week stay in Ankara, during which he participated in the latest meeting of the National Security Council (MGK) on Feb. 27.