JEDDAH/ANKARA: Syrian President Bashar Assad鈥檚 regime is the 鈥渕ain contributor to terrorism in Syria and the main user and manipulator of terrorism as a pretext to kill Syrians,鈥� Yahya Al-Aridi, Syrian opposition spokesman, told Arab News on Tuesday.
Al-Aridi was reacting to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu鈥檚 comment that Assad鈥檚 forces were attacking the moderate opposition forces in Idlib province under the pretext that they were fighting hard-line militant group Al-Nusra 鈥渁nd this was undermining efforts to reach a political solution to the war in Syria.鈥�
Anti-Assad fighters under siege near Damascus have resorted to talks with regime ally Russia, sometimes meeting in no-man鈥檚 land, as they seek to hang on to their enclave, underlining Moscow鈥檚 increasing influence on Syria鈥檚 future.
Asked why the international community is unable to take Moscow to task over its pro-Assad policy, Al-Aridi said: 鈥淩ussia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council with the power of veto to block any condemnation of the Assad regime鈥檚 brutality and crimes.鈥�
He added that the world in general, and the US in particular, 鈥渉ave turned a blind eye to the Syrian plight鈥� and expressed his belief that America鈥檚 relationship with Israel and with the Syrian regime was 鈥渁n obstructing factor in finding any solution for the Syrian tragedy.鈥�
鈥淩ussia is benefiting from all these factors to continue its savage policies in Syria without any accountability,鈥� Al-Aridi pointed out.
Opposition fighters have gained little from negotiations so far, but Al-Aridi stressed that they have little choice but to continue with them.
鈥淲hat other options have they got? The world has denied them any support to defend themselves and their people,鈥� he said.
The fighters believe Russia, whose air force all but won the war for the regime, will have the final say on Syria鈥檚 fate.
Al-Aridi agrees, to a point. 鈥淔or the time being maybe,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut in the long run, Syrians have no choice but to defend themselves; and they know all their enemies who denied them the right to be free. As such, the Russians, as well as the Iranians, may be in for tough times.鈥�
Turkey summoned on Tuesday the ambassadors of Russia and Iran to complain about the regime advances, which it said are in violation of a 鈥渄e-escalation鈥� agreement in Idlib reached by Ankara, Moscow and Tehran.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC), during its meetings with the UN in New York, has warned that the UN-led Syrian peace process in Geneva risks being undermined by a 鈥減arallel process鈥� 鈥� the Russia-led talks, the next meeting of which is due to take place in Sochi.
The SNC called for international pressure on the regime to negotiate in Geneva, said Al-Aridi.
In a separate development, thousands of refugees are fleeing north from Syria鈥檚 Idlib province toward the Turkish border in the wake of prolonged airstrikes by the Syrian regime.
Kerem Kinik, president of the Turkish Red Crescent Society, told Arab News that, over the last two weeks, roughly 64,000 Syrians have traveled from the south of Idlib toward the north.
鈥淭he majority of these people were settled next to their parents, while some have remained homeless,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are doing our best to accommodate them in our camp between Idlib and Turkey鈥檚 southern border.鈥�
Omar Kadkoy, a research associate at the Ankara-based think tank TEPAV, said Idlib province is a unique case in the context of the Syrian war, as it is already home to around 1.1 million people internally displaced from other Syrian provinces.
Kadkoy warned of a 鈥渘ew wave鈥� of displaced people whom he expects will settle on the border strip between Idlib and the Hatay.
鈥淭urkey鈥檚 border with Syria has been shut for two years,鈥� he told Arab News. 鈥淏ut Ankara has not abandoned the Syrian refugees; a safe-haven strip emerged between Idlib and Hatay where 700,000 Syrians live in around 400 camps.鈥�
Syrian opposition calls Assad 鈥榤ain contributor鈥� to terror
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