Syria Opposition to meet in Riyadh, doubt on talks

The Syrian Opposition cast doubt on whether it would go to peace talks planned for Friday, throwing UN diplomatic efforts into question as it accused the United States of adopting unacceptable Iranian and Russian ideas for solving the conflict.

The Saudi-backed Opposition was meeting on Tuesday to decide whether to attend the talks which UN envoy Staffan de Mistura aims to open in Geneva on Friday, ushering in months of indirect negotiations between delegates in separate rooms. Opposition official Asaad al-Zoubi told Arabic news channel Al-Hadath that he was pessimistic, though the final decision would be taken at the opposition meeting in Riyadh.

Mr de Mistura was expected to issue invitations on Tuesday. “It’s going to be very low-key proximity talks,” UN spokesman Ahmad Fawzi told journalists in Geneva. The Syrian government, which is clawing back territory from the rebels with the help of Russian airstrikes and Iranian ground forces, has already said it will attend.

Zoubi, who is due to head the Opposition delegation to any negotiations, said that without the implementation of goodwill steps including release of detainees “there will be no negotiations”. “This is what the HNC has laid down,” he said. Reflecting Opposition misgivings about the process, he told Al-Hadath that US secretary of state John Kerry had tabled Iranian and Russian ideas about Syria at a recent meeting with Opposition leader Riad Hijab. “It was not comfortable for us for America — even in theory or partially — to adopt what came in the Iranian and Russian initiatives,” Zoubi said in the interview.

Russia has sought to expand the opposition delegation to include a powerful Kurdish faction that controls wide areas of northern Syria.

The Sunni Arab Opposition say the Kurdish PYD party should be part of the government delegation. PYD leader Saleh Muslim told Reuters he expected his party to be invited to Geneva, though it was unclear in what capacity.

Turkey, a major sponsor of the insurgency, however said it was against the participation of the Kurdish YPG militia which is affiliated to the PYD. The YPG has become an important partner in the US-led fight against ISIS. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the PKK, which it sees as a terrorist organisation.