The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) held a virtual meeting with national, political and civil personalities from Raqqa province as part of a series of meetings that the Jazira and Euphrates Committee has been conducting regarding the eastern region.
The meeting brought together SOC’s President Nasr Al-Hariri, Vice-president Oqab Yahya, members of the political committee Badr Jamous and Salem Al-Muslet, member of the General Assembly, Abdullah Al-Faraj, and 20 personalities representing various components of the governorate.
The meeting is one of three meetings that the SOC is working on in preparation for an inclusive conference for the eastern region with the aim of forming a body that represents the people of the eastern region and their demands.
Vice-president and Coordinator of the Al-Jazirah and Euphrates Committee, Oqab Yahya, talked about the goal of the meeting, which is forming a unified committee representing the three governorates in eastern Syria.
Al-Hariri gave an overview on the general situation in Syria, prospects for the political process, and the developments in the eastern region. He stressed that the political process and the work of the Constitutional Committee stalled because of the Assad regime’s procrastination and insistence on pursuing a military solution.
He pointed out that the PYD militia continues to commit serious crimes and violations east of the Euphrates, stressing the need to work together to confront the plans of this militia. He also stressed that any solution in the region cannot be achieved without ending the presence of the PKK terrorist organization in Syria.
Participants emphasized that residents of the eastern Euphrates will not accept any dialogue that does not preserve the unity of the region, guarantee the return of the displaced and refugees to their areas of origin, and enable its people to manage their areas by themselves.
People of Raqqa said that the situation in the province is dire due to the PYD’s continued crimes and violations against civilians and its attempts to sideline the rest of the region’s components.
Participants put forward a set of suggestions that will be worked on in the months to come as they stressed the importance of holding further meetings according to a clear program and achieving real partnership with the SOC. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)
