Ban, Davutoglu Meet in Beirut to Discuss ‘Dangerous’ Developments in Syria

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Saturday met in Lebanon and discussed the "dangerous trajectory" of the crisis in Syria, Ban's spokesman said.

The U.N. secretary general and Turkish Minister are in Lebanon for a U.N. conference on democracy in the Arab world.

"They discussed a range of regional matters, in particular the situation in Syria as well as Iran and Cyprus," Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky said in a statement.

"The secretary general said the dangerous trajectory of the crisis in Syria was a source of great concern."

Turkey shares a 910-kilometer border with Syria, its former ally. Ankara has condemned the Damascus regime's crackdown on dissent that the U.N. says has killed more than 5,000 people since it erupted last March.