No more words on Syria: Turkish FM

VIENNA - Anatolia News Agency

AA photo

The international community should be making a “joint action plan” to end the violence in Syria rather than just releasing joint messages, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said yesterday during a visit to Austria.

“A joint action plan should be implemented,” Davutoğlu told a joint press conference with Austrian Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger in Vienna. Everybody should support the rule of law, Davutoğlu added.

Davutoğlu said that the international community should also react to the “agony” in Syria with a common voice.

Davutoğlu invited Spindelegger to the Friends of Syria meeting that will take place in Istanbul on April 1. The Austrian minister, meanwhile, said his country supported Turkey’s efforts to end the violence in Syria. Vienna is exerting efforts to convince Syria’s Christian community to support the opposition, Spindelegger said.

Davutoğlu also said he and his Austrian counterpart had agreed to cooperate efficiently in countering terrorism. The Turkish minister further asked for Spindelegger’s support in facilitating EU visa procedures for Turkish citizens. Spindelegger said his country supported Turkey’s full EU membership process and was not putting obstacles in the way of the bloc’s negotiations with Turkey.

After the joint press conference, Davutoğlu visited a school that includes Turkish students. Austrian President Heinz Fischer was expected to receive Davutoğlu later in the day. Davutoğlu was scheduled to leave Vienna for Brussels in the evening to attend a Turkey-EU Political Dialogue Meeting, where he is expected to discuss the situation in Syria and Turkey’s views on the issue.