Turkish FM discuss Syria with Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed Syria with his Iraqi, Jordanian and Lebanese counterparts Tuesday during a quadripartite meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings.

"At the Quadripartite Forum of Foreign Ministers of #Turkey, #Iraq, #Jordan and #Lebanon on the margins of #UNGA74, discussed as four neighboring countries deeply affected by the Syrian conflict, steps to be taken for safe and voluntary return of Syrians to their country," Cavusoglu tweeted.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Hundreds of thousands of people have since been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN figures.

On Aug. 7, Turkish and U.S. military officials agreed to set up a safe zone in northern Syria and develop a peace corridor to facilitate the movement of displaced Syrians who want to return home. They also agreed to establish a joint operations center.