TURKEY: Syrian refugees living in Turkish camps say the Geneva 2 peace talks are doomed due to conflicting stances on the future of President Bashar al-Assad

Record ID: 274488

  • Title: TURKEY: Syrian refugees living in Turkish camps say the Geneva 2 peace talks are doomed due to conflicting stances on the future of President Bashar al-Assad
  • Date: 22nd January 2014
  • Summary: AKCAKALE, TURKEY (JANUARY 22, 2014) (REUTERS) VIEW OF AKCAKALE REFUGEE CAMP ENTRANCE OF CAMP SECURITY AT ENTRANCE TO CAMP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN REFUGEE, ULA AL HAMMADE, SAYING: "People in Syria are starving out of hunger; they are battling with severe cold. We don't expect much from this meeting. Such a meeting was held before and nothing came out of it. So we don't
  • Embargoed: 6th February 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Conflict,General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA90JWNHUV61OJKUL9JFXUGHXZ0
  • Story Text: Some Syrian refugees living in camps in Turkey said on Wednesday (January 22) that they did not expect a positive outcome from Geneva 2 peace talks that started in Switzerland that brought Syria's government and opposition face to face for the first time.
    "People in Syria are starving out of hunger, they are battling with severe cold. We don't expect much from this meeting. Such a meeting was held before and nothing came out of it. So we don't expect a positive outcome," said Ula Al Hammade, a refugee in Akcakale in southeast province of Sanliurfa.
    "These meetings were held before. These meetings are sponsored by countries supporting Assad regime such as Russia and China and other countries like the United States and Israel. So we don't expect an outcome that would give hope to the people of Syria," said another refugee, Khaled Al Mohammed.
    Syria's government and opposition have already angrily spelled out their hostility at the peace conference as world powers also restated contrasting views on the future of President Bashar al-Assad.
    Opposition leader Ahmed Jarba accused Assad of war crimes that recalled Nazi Germany and demanded the Syrian government delegation at the one-day meeting in Switzerland immediately sign up to an international plan for a transition of power.
    Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem insisted Assad would not bow to outside demands and painted a graphic picture of "terrorist" rebel atrocities supported by Arab and Western states who back the opposition and were present in the room.
    The United States and Russia, co-sponsors of the conference which U.N. officials hope can launch further negotiations at Geneva, also revealed their differences over Assad in speeches that began what will be a day of formal presentations.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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