ANKARA, Turkey —  Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Sunday the United Nations needed to take a clear stance on Syria and send a message to President Bashar al-Assad not to prevent the distribution of aid.

"If it is clear now that Assad will not do anything new, then the U.N. Security Council must decide on a stance on the situation in Syria," Davutoglu said, after Assad gave a speech in Damascus.

"The first decision needs to be made on distributing aid to Syrians. People can't find food to eat, wood to burn in Hama, in Homs. A clear message has to be sent to tell Assad that he should not stand in the way of aid distribution."