Syria cease-fire violations 'threaten peace talks'

Turkish foreign minister says planned negotiations in Astana could flounder before beginning due to regime attacks

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - Planned peace talks brokered by Turkey and Russia could fail if the cease-fire in Syria does not hold, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday.

He blamed forces supporting the Syrian regime -- particularly the Lebanese Hezbollah -- of violating the truce, which came into effect on Dec.30. Negotiations to reach a political resolution to the six-year war are due to be begin in the Kazakhstan capital Astana on Jan. 23.

“If we cannot stop the increasing violations, the Astana process could fail,” Cavusoglu said at the Anadolu Agency’s Editors’ Desk.

Separately, the minister said the gunman who killed 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub on New Year’s Eve had been identified and was being hunted.

Kaynak: