TEHRAN, (SANA)-Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi warned against continuation of the current situation in Syria, saying that this leads to escalating violence and extremism as well as it will leave impacts on all regional countries.

"There are plots which aim at destabilizing peace and stability in the region, instigate conflicts among the minorities and sects which lived together in peace in order to change the situations in the region," Salehi said in a statement to the press in Ankara on Tuesday.

Salehi added that the aim of his visit to Turkey is to discuss the fate of the Iranian visitors who were abducted in Syria in addition to regional and bilateral issues, hoping the visit will achieve important benefits that serve peace for the region.

He referred to some differences in the viewpoints of the two countries on a number of issues, saying "According to Iran's viewpoint, there is a government in Syria which has achieved steps to realize the rights of its people.. so we should work to stop violence and conduct a national genuine dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition."

Later, Salehi called on Turkey to exert its utmost efforts to release the Iranian visitors abducted in Syria.

During a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu, Salehi said that the situation in Syria entered "a sensitive stage", underlining the need for searching about means to resolve the crisis in Syria.  

Mazen Eyon