Syrian regime withdraws from Geneva talks over Turkish invasion

After a break, the Geneva talks resumed in the so-called Constitutional Committee for Syria. The Syrian regime delegation, however, withdrew from the negotiations as "there is no common position against the invasion".

The Geneva talks of the so-called Constitutional Committee for Syria were suspended on 30 October and resumed yesterday at the UN's Geneva office. The committee was selected from 150 people and consists of 15 representatives of the regime, 15 representatives of the "opposition" supported by Turkey and 15 representatives of civil society organisations from Syria. The committee was received by the UN Special Representative for Syria, Geir Pedersen.

The representative of the Syrian regime, Ahmad Kuzbari, put three preconditions for the talks on the agenda. The talks dealt with "the fight against terrorism on Syrian territory, the lifting of sanctions against Syria and a joint condemnation of the invasion of Syria". Kuzbari explained that if these conditions were not accepted, it would show that the committee would be led by external forces. How can Syria's territorial integrity and independence, the sine qua non of Constitutional talks, be preserved if the invasion is not condemned?

Since the three points were not accepted by the so-called "opposition", the regime's delegation retreated to its hotel in the centre of Geneva. So far, the regime has made no statement as to whether it will resume talks today.

On the other hand, a UN Security Council briefing on the Syrian talks took place recently, at which Geir Pedersen declared that the Turkish invasion was an obstacle to the negotiations.