President of the Syria Coalition Anas al-Abda on Thursday held a press conference to talk about the ongoing military escalation by the Assad regime and Russia in the ‘de-escalation zone’ in northwestern Syria and the situation of the Syrian residents and refugees in Turkey.
“The Syrian people are victim of genocide in which the international community is complicit directly or indirectly,” al-Abda said. He pointed out that the past week witnessed bloody attacks in Idlib, Hama and Lattakia provinces as part of the bombing campaign being launched by the Assad regime and Russian forces against Syrian civilians.
Al-Abda added that massacres were taking place “at the rate of one massacre every day,” stressing that these attacks constituted war crimes especially as they are targeting popular markets, schools and hospitals amid total inaction by the international community.
Moreover, al-Abda said that what is happening in Idlib is a “dark stain on the forehead of the international community.” He pointed out that the Coalition sent many memos to the United Nations and the major players but “these did not come up with any result, which constituted “a continued failure to put an end to the crimes and an ignominious moral failure.” He added that these crimes are taking place on a daily basis and “under the watchful eyes of the whole world which is watching the Russian and Assad regime warplanes as they bomb innocent civilians.”
The Assad regime and Russia are “lying” when they talk about a truce, political solution, and the constitutional process, al-Abdag said. He wondered as to “how can the Russians claim they are seeking a political solution while they are directly involved in war crimes?”
Al-Abda stressed that a political solution now is “a mere delusion aimed at deceiving the Syrian people as long as massacres and crimes continue against them.”
Furthermore, al-Abda extended his sincere thanks and appreciation to the FSA fighters who are fending off the Assad regime and Russia’s violent attacks. “We are indebted to the heroic fight being put up by the heroes of the Free Syrian Army who have destroyed the myth of the Russian military machine. We are honored to serve these heroes. The Syrian people at home and abroad have a duty to support the resistance of the FSA.”
Regarding the situation of the Syrian refugees in Turkey, al-Abda stressed that there is no change in the policy of the Turkish government towards the Syrian refugees. He pointed out that the recent measures are in the interests of the two sides as they are intended to regulate their presence and cover it legally.
Al-Abda warned of attempts by some parties to sabotage the strong relationship between the Syrian and Turkish peoples. “When we attended the anniversary of the Battle of Çanakkale with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we saw the graves of the Syrian and Turkish martyrs laid side by side. The relations between us did not began in 2011 or a decade ago, but are historic relations. Our blood once blended together.”
He pointed out that he agreed with the Turkish Interior Minister, Mr. Süleyman Soylu, to form a joint committee to settle the status of the Syrian refugees in Turkey and to make their presence legally covered. He pointed out that he put forward urgent humanitarian requests, most notably calls for stopping the deportation of the Syrian refugees, settling the status of the households who have a Temporary Protection ID card issued by another province, and extending the time period given to the Syrian refugees to settle their status.
Al-Abda also talked about the importance of facilitating access to work permits for the Syrian refugees in Turkey, noting that the Coalition intends to meet with the Turkish Minister of Labor in the next few days to discuss the issue. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
