Turkish foreign minister, UN chief discuss regional issues

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday discussed regional developments in a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

According to Turkish diplomatic sources, Fidan and Guterres discussed regional developments in the context of the UN chief's visits to Syria and the island of Cyprus.

The UN will submit a detailed report to the Security Council later this month on Israeli violations in Syria, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Sunday.

Speaking at a news conference in Damascus, Guterres stressed that violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity are "unacceptable," urging Israel to comply with the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

"The atrocities Syria has witnessed have not broken the Syrian people's resolve to pursue their legitimate aspirations," he added.

He also warned that UN humanitarian assistance currently meets only around 20% of the Syrian people's needs.

Guterres arrived in Damascus on Saturday for a three-day visit and held talks with President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, during which he reaffirmed the UN's commitment to Syria's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and called on the international community to support the country's recovery.

The UN announced Thursday that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will travel to Cyprus to advance the peace process.

"The secretary-general will travel to Cyprus from the 27 to the 29 of July as part of his good officer's mission and his strong demonstrated commitment to the Cyprus issue," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said during a news conference.

Noting that Guterres will meet Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Tufan Erhürman and Nikos Christodoulides, the Greek Cypriot administration leader, Dujarric said the UN chief will also meet "other stakeholders and discuss efforts to advance the peace process and support stability on the island, including through the work of the UN peacekeeping mission on the ground there, UNFICYP."