Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu participated in the meeting of Friends of Syrian People Core Group, held in Paris on January 12, 2014.

Foreign Ministers of Turkey, the U.S., the UK, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan as well as the delegation of the Syrian National Coalition led by Ahmed al-Jarba attended the meeting which was hosted by Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs of France.

At the Core Group meeting, parameters of the Geneva II Conference which will be held at the end of January and humanitarian situation in Syria were addressed.

In the Declaration issued at the end of the meeting, it was pointed out that the rights of Syrian people to determine its own destiny and to defend itself against oppression are supported and it was underlined that the Geneva II Conference is aiming at allowing the Syrian people to control its future and put an end to the current despotic regime through a genuine political transition.

The atrocities committed by the regime against its own people were condemned in the strongest terms in the Declaration; moreover, the full commitment to the text of the Core Group Ministerial Communiqué of 22 October 2013 was reaffirmed. Within this framework, it was emphasized that negotiations to form the Transitional Governing Body, under the mediation of the Joint Special Representative, must start as early as 24 January and must not be open-ended.

The Core Group urged the Syrian National Coalition to respond positively to the invitation to set up the Syrian opposition delegation which will participate in the political process, sent by the UN Secretary General and pledged their full backing to the opposition during the Geneva II Conference.

In the Declaration, deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria was underlined and also the meeting which will be held in Urfa, Turkey on January 17 with the participation of the UNHCR and neighbouring countries is welcomed.

Paris Declaration of the Core Group, 12 January 2014

As part of his contacts in Paris, Foreign Minister Davutoğlu met with Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Egypt in a regional meeting to discuss the situation in Syria on January 10, 2014.

Foreign Minister Davutoğlu also held bilateral meetings with John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State, Laurent Fabius, Foreign Minister of France and Ahmad al-Jarba, President of the Syrian National Coalition.