The U.S. and Turkish foreign ministers vowed on Monday to work toward a peaceful resolution to the Syrian crisis.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the escalating violence across Syria "deplorable," saying that the government was using "artillery and tank fire against innocent civilians."

"We stand with the Syrian people and we are looking for a peaceful resolution," she told reporters after meeting Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at the U.S. State Department.

She said the United States is looking forward to joining the Arab League initiative for the Friends of Syria group, which will have its first meeting in Tunisia on Feb. 24.

"Certainly, Minister Davutoglu and myself will play a very active role in trying to search for solutions," the top U.S. envoy said. "We will intensify our diplomatic pressure on the regime to end its campaign of violence."

She mentioned expanded targeted sanctions and increasing outreach to opposition both inside and outside of Syria. "And particularly we will work closely with Turkey and other partners to address the growing humanitarian concerns of those who are suffering," she said.

"We agreed that there should be a new humanitarian initiative to reach out to people who are suffering because of the shortage of food, medicine, everywhere in Syria," Davutoglu said.

He said he had spoken to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday over a Turkish initiative that would make humanitarian access possible.

Describing the situation in Syria as "alarming," he noted that the search for a political solution dominated his meeting with Clinton. It would also be the focus of the Tunisia meeting of the Friends of Syria.

He argued that even at this moment, a political or diplomatic solution as well as humanitarian access as early as possible are realistic goals.

The Syrian government has blamed the months-long unrest in Syria on plots by terrorists and foreign-backed armed gangs, and said that more than 2,000 army and security personnel were killed during the past months. The United Nations put the death toll in the Syrian unrest at more than 5,400.