Friends of Syria Group to convene in Istanbul

Friends of Syria Group "core" meeting will be held in Istanbul on April 20. According to information received from diplomatic sources that Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu held phone calls with his interlocutors regarding the details of the core meeting of Friends of Syria Group. At first, Davutoglu held conversations with his Qatari and Egyptian interlocutors, then with US Secretary of State John Kerry. Sources noted, Davutoglu and Kerry reached a consensus on holding the meeting in Istanbul on April 20. Kerry confirmed his attendance to the core meeting and that the meeting carried such importance in regards to developments for the next term of Syria, sources said. Moreover, sources also said, Davutoglu held a phone call with Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi where Turkish minister sent his condolences for the dead and wounded Iranians when a magnitude-6.1 earthquake jolted the southern Bushehr province of Iran on April 9 and that Turkey was ready to do its utmost in order to give a helping hand. Salehi thanked Davutoglu for his message and he informed the Turkish foreign minister about Iran's nuclear programme and the results of the meeting held with 5+1 countries.