Turkish prime minister to visit Iran on March 4

ANKARA

Prime Minister and the leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Ahmet Davutoğlu delivers a speech during a party's meeting at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) in Ankara, on February 23, 2016. AFP Photo

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is scheduled to pay a two-day visit to neighboring Iran this week, his office said.

Davutoğlu will visit Tehran on March 4 and 5, sources from his office told reporters late on March 2, noting that details concerning the visit had not yet been completed. 

Tehran, along with Russia, supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey is among his most outspoken critics, backing the Sunni opposition. Turkey is also close to Saudi Arabia, which has cut its diplomatic ties with Iran. 

Davutoğlu’s visit comes days before U.N.-backed Syrian peace talks, which were suspended last month because of continuing fighting, are expected to resume in Geneva.

However, the Syrian opposition cast doubt on March 2 on whether the talks would proceed on March 9 as planned, as rebels said they were under fierce government attack near the Turkish border despite an agreement to cease hostilities.