The delegation of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) to the United States met with the Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal on the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. The two sides discussed the latest developments on the ground and in the political process in Syria.
The meeting took place at the office of the Turkish mission to the UN in New York. The SOC’s delegation included President Salem Al-Meslet, President of the Syrian Negotiations Commission Anas Abdah, SOC’s Vice-presidents Abdul Hakim Bashar and Ruba Habboush, Secretary of the SOC’s political committee Abdul Majeed Barakat, and members of the Syrian Negotiations Commission Ibrahim Berro and Fadwa Al-Ujaili.
Al-Meslet thanked Turkey for its firm support for the cause of the Syrian people and its assistance in finding a solid ground in the liberated areas.
Al-Meslet talked about the continued military operations by the Assad regime and its backers against civilians, especially in Idlib province, despite the existing ceasefire agreements. He expressed his hope that the major actors, including the friends of the Syrian people, will find practical mechanisms to deter the regime from proceeding with the military solution, bring about political transition., and protect the Syrian people.
Abdah pointed out that the international community views the Syrian situation from a different angle, stressing the need to safeguard UN Resolution 2254 with all its four baskets.
Abdah stressed that there is still a long way to go, and that the Assad regime insists on disrupting the political process due to the absence of the necessary international pressure.
Bashar spoke about the intra-Kurdish dialogue, stressing that those who govern east of the Euphrates are not Syrians, but commanders of the PKK terrorist organization who came from the Qandil Mountains. He made it clear that is not possible to continue to support this group in the name of supporting the Kurds or in the name of supporting Syria.
For his part, Onal spoke about his country’s continued support for the cause of the Syrian people, pointing out that Syria is always present in the talks of the Turkish mission in New York. He cited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s reference to Syria and the humanitarian situation in the country at his speech before the UN General Assembly.
Onal expressed his country’s concern about the escalating violence in Syria, especially in the northwest, and the violations taking place there. He said that the Turkish Foreign Minister will visit Russia to discuss ways to calm the situation and restore stability.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
