Turkey should neither militarily support the Rebels, give them a political voice instead nor should it fall into the trap of attacking Syria.
These are detractors for Turkey's progress. Military action should be reserved for self-defence as was the case in the flotilla incident, where Turkey was on the right.
Syrian dissidents to draft ‘road map’ in Istanbul
Thursday, September 29, 2011
SEVİL KÜÇÜKKOŞUM
ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News
Syrian dissidents from different groups are having several meetings in Istanbul this week to finalize a unified Syrian opposition road map for political groups about how to build a democratic Syria
To unite their efforts and ideas for the National Council of Syria, representatives from various Syrian opposition groups, still struggling to agree on a strategy for their bid to oust the Bashar al-Assad’s regime, are holding a series of meetings in Istanbul this week.
Details on opening a representation office in Turkey are also being discussed in the meetings, and they are planning to make a press statement on Friday if they manage to agree on a joint road map, a member of the Syrian opposition said.
“We are discussing draft papers on how to represent the council and Syrian opposition parties, a road map on political parties on how to achieve a democratic Syria, and other roles and responsibilities and documents for policies,” Molham Aldrobi, a senior Muslim Brotherhood activist involved in the talks, told the Hürriyet Daily News on Thursday.
“We have been holding meetings since Tuesday with major political parties from Syria to build a unified, united representation. Things are positive and we are moving forward,” he said.
PM backs oppening an opposition office in Turkey
The opening of an opposition office in Turkey, which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said
Ankara would support, appears
to be pending on the outcome of the talks.
“Once this happens it will be easier to go forward in opening representation offices around the globe, including Turkey,” Aldrobi said.The meeting Wednesday was for the “representation of all the conferences that had taken place before,” Aldrobi said, adding that the meetings included the Damascus Declaration group, the Muslim Brotherhood and the Syrian National Council, whose members were announced in Istanbul on Sept. 15. The Syrian National Council is composed of 140 members, half living in Syria and the rest being exiled dissidents trying to lead the opposition.
Syrian dissidents have held several meetings in Istanbul and in Antalya in recent months as Assad’s regime stepped up its crackdown on protestors across the country. Several groups aiming to represent the Syrian opposition have emerged though with different political identities and approaches toward how to proceed with opposition activities. k HDN
Thursday, September 29, 2011