Turkey calls for ceasefire in Syria

ISTANBUL - Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday called on the Syrian government to enforce a ceasefire during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha next week.

"We call for ceasefire with all sides in Syria who clash against each other," Davutoglu said during a press conference.

"We hope the Syrian government moves with this (ceasefire) call, " he added.

UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is expected to arrive in Damascus later this week to broker a brief ceasefire between troops of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and rebels.

The Syrian government guardedly welcomed the proposal, but said any initiative must be respected by both sides.

Turkey, one of Assad's harshest critics, and Iran, one of his strongest allies, both backed the plan in a rare display of agreement.

Activists put the death toll in the Syrian crisis at over 30,000. International players fear that if unchecked, the fighting could expand into a wider regional conflict.