Saudi Arabia, Turkey 'on same Syria page'

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkish PM Erdoğan (R) shakes hands with Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz during the latter’s visit to Ankara. Riyadh and Ankara have the same stance on the Syrian issue, Turkish sources say. AA photo

Turkey and Saudi Arabia reiterated their common understanding on the civil war in Syria, during a visit by Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz to Ankara.

Following his talks with President Abdullah Gül on May 21, Salman yesterday met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,

who was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. The two countries exchanged their views on the Syrian crisis, including the upcoming Geneva conference, a Turkish official told the Hürriyet Daily News.

Both parties agreed that everyone’s minds should be clear on the process, the official said, adding that Turkey and Saudi Arabia did not have any differences on the Syrian issue. Gül and the Crown Prince signed an agreement on cooperation in the defense industry for further cooperation.

The Saudi Crown Prince is accompanied on his visit by a number of officials, including Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja and the Economy and Planning Minister Muhammad al-Jasser.

Separately, Davutoğlu met with his Saudi counterpart on May 21 to discuss recent regional developments, particularly the situation in Syria.