WEST KURDISTAN (SYRIA) MESOP NEWS KURDS&ROJAVA : Geneva Talks to Resume — But Will Assad Regime Show Up?

28 Nov 2017 – Regime upset by opposition and Turkish demands that Bashar al-Assad must leave power

Political talks over Syria’s conflict are set to resume in Geneva on Tuesday, but there are doubts over whether the Assad regime’s delegation will show up. The delayed discussions were finally set last week when a reformed opposition bloc, including factions favored by Russia, was announced in Saudi Arabia. However, contrary to some expectation, the factions joined the reassertion by the High Negotiations Committee that Bashar al-Assad must leave power at the start of a transition.Turkey — a long-time supporter of the opposition, but working with Assad backers Russia and Iran since last year — also said on Monday that Assad must depart.

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım told reporters during a visit to London, “The current regime is responsible for the way things have evolved in Syria … I don’t think it’s a realistic prospect to build lasting peace in Syria with Assad.”

The demand put a question mark over the regime’s attendance at the talks today, according to UN envoy Staffan de Mistura: The English-language site of Syrian State media SANA has yet to post today on Geneva, but a Syrian newspaper reported on Monday that the regime delegation would delay its arrival. The opposition had already warned that the Assad regime will refuse to engage seriously with the talks. “The Assad regime must not be allowed to play for time while people are being besieged and bombed,” said Yahya al-Aridi of the HNC on Sunday. www.mesop.de