Turkish pressure on Syrian opposition figures prevents our meeting: SDC
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, an official of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) said, Turkish pressure on figures in the Syrian opposition prevented recent meetings between the SDC and the opposition.
Since the formation of Syrian National Coalition (SNC) in 2012, Turkey has focused on attracting opposition figures, after it announced its support for the popular movement in Syria that began in 2011.
Ali Rahmoun, SDC presidential member said “there was a veto by Turkey on the coalition delegation to prevent the meeting between the two delegations [the coalition, the Constitutional Committee, the Negotiating Committee, and SDC delegation].”
During the last visit of Syrian delegations to Washington, conditions were prepared for a meeting between the SDC delegation and a delegation from the SNC, but the Turkish veto prevented this meeting, according to Rahmoun.
The visit of the SDC delegation to Washington, on September, coincided with the visit of a delegation of the Syrian opposition headed by Salem al-Maslat, head of the SNC, who accused Washington of bias in dealing with the Syrian delegations.
Rahmoun told North Press that he tried to reach a meeting with members of the Constitutional Committee during the last meeting in Geneva, including Hadi al-Bahra, co-chair of the committee, Badr Jamous, member of the negotiating committee, and Ruba Habboush, deputy head of the coalition.
“The Turks prevent them from any meeting for any Syrian move unless it is on Turkish orders, especially that they do not have a sponsor other than Turkey, and therefore they are following this Turkish blackmail and pressure,” Rahmoun added.
Rahmoun pointed out that preparations are still underway to hold a conference of the Syrian democratic opposition forces. And Sweden was agreed to be the sponsor and host for this conference.
He added that the preparatory committee for the conference of democratic opposition forces will hold its first meeting within a month from now.
In mid-May, the SDC revealed, on its official website, an effort to gather the real, national and democratic opposition forces in a general national conference to be held on the basis of implementing Resolution 2254.
The resolution issued by the UN Security Council in 2015 provides for the organization of free and fair elections in Syria under the supervision of the United Nations and the drafting of a new constitution for the country within a period of time not exceeding 18 months.