Anas Al-Abda, head of Syrian opposition’s National Coalition, said on Monday he hoped Turkish President Erdogan would ask Russia to stop targeting civilians and resort to a political process, which would allow Syrian people to decide their own fate.
Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul, al-Abda said Erdogan’s visit would be a “positive step” for the solution to the long-standing Syrian crisis that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Syrian opposition
“We consider the Turkish president as a key ally of the Syrian people; he has a chance to propose ideas and initiatives to Russians and to explain them the current situation in Syria,” al-Abda said.
In his remarks, al-Abda said Turkey has assured that its position toward Syrian issue has not changed after the July 15 coup attempt, which martyred 240 people and wounded nearly 2,200 others.
Turkey will support aspirations of the Syrian people and help them achieve their goals of freedom and dignity, he added.
Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, will meet in St. Petersburg.
The Tuesday’s meeting came at Putin’s invitation, marking the first one since Russia and Turkey began normalizing relations following the downing of a Russian jet in November last year.
