UN envoy Brahimi held Syria talks in Ankara

ANKARA

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu (R) speaks with UN-Arab League mediator for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi on October 25, 2013 before their meeting in Ankara. AFP PHOTO

U.N.-Arab League Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi held a series of talks with senior Turkish officials in Ankara over the planned Geneva peace talks to end the ongoing civil war.

Brahimi met with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Oct. 25. “We conveyed our opinion to Brahimi in the framework of the text drafted after the London meeting this week. It is important that the two sides have a clear vision when they convene in Geneva,” Davutoğlu said, adding they will support peaceful efforts.

Brahimi met with the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), the main opposition group, on late Oct. 24. Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu hosted a working dinner and the two sides discussed the conference.

Brahimi will meet with U.S. and Russian officials in Geneva on Nov. 5 as part of stepped up efforts to hold the conference in mid-November. The opposition is also due to meet at the start of November to finalize its position on the Geneva talks, but Coalition head Ahmad Jarba shows no signs of readiness to compromise so far.

U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky has repeatedly said that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will set the date of the conference.