UN envoy to visit Hatay refugee camp

ANKARA

Kofi Annan, the UN-Arab League Special Envoy to Syria, is expected to visit Hatay refugee camp and then meet with Turkish officials in Ankara after visiting Syria. REUTERS photo

U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria Kofi Annan is to visit Syrian refugee camps in Turkey after travelling to Syria over the weekend, a diplomat told Agence France-Press on March 8.

“Kofi Annan has expressed his wish to come soon to Turkey and we gave our consent,” the diplomat said, on condition of anonymity.

In Ankara on March 12

The former U.N. chief will be visiting refugee camps in Hatay, the Turkish border province which houses almost 12,000 Syrian refugees, he noted. Annan will also visit Ankara to meet with senior officials, said another source close to the government, while private NTV news channel said the visit was to take place on March 12.

In Ankara, Annan is expected to discuss details of his first-time visit to Syria since his appointment, and iron out details on the second meeting of “Friends of Syria” expected to be held later this month in Istanbul.

Annan is scheduled to meet President Assad and other Syrian officials at the weekend.