Turkey turns to region over Syria as western caution grows

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu arrived in Cairo yesterday for talks with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and regional talks with representatives from Iran, Egypt and Saudi Arabia about Syria. The quartet talks in Cairo are part of an initiative by Morsi to address the Syrian conflict through the efforts of regional countries. "During the meeting, Egypt will work to reach a consensus on a number of fronts on the Syrian issue, mainly halting the violence immediately, rejecting foreign military intervention and upholding Syria's unity," Nazih al-Nagari, a deputy spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, said of the meeting last week. Diplomats from the four countries attended a meeting held in Cairo last Monday in preparation for the foreign ministerial talks. The four countries represent conflicting stances on how Syria's future should be shaped. Egypt's Foreign Ministry said Cairo would seek an agreement on several points, including rejecting any foreign military intervention and launching a political process to achieve the Syrian people's "aspirations for democracy, freedom and dignity."