ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syria’s opposition on Tuesday called on Russia to put pressure on the regime of President Bashar al-Assad to take steps towards peace, amid escalating regional tensions and the potential spillover of Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon into the country.
“We told them [Russia], that they should play a positive role, you have to pressure the Syrian regime to push it towards the peace process, especially amid the current emerging situations,” Ahmed Toma, the leader of the Syrian Opposition told Rudaw’s Kamiz Shadadi on the sidelines of the Astana format in Kazakhstan.
The Astana format wrapped up the 22nd round of talks in the Kazakh capital. During the two-day meetings, representatives of Iran, Russia, and Turkey “expressed their conviction that there could be no military solution in Syria and reaffirmed their commitment to advance a viable and lasting Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated political process in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254,” according to a joint statement.
The UN Security Council Resolution 2254 was adopted in 2015 and calls for a ceasefire and a political settlement in Syria.
“It is certain that the developments happening now are concerning for us. Because this situation will not bring stability to Syria, nor will it lead to peace in Syria,” Toma said reiterating that regional tensions are affecting international efforts to bring peace and stability to Syria.
The recent round of talks comes amid escalating regional tension against the backdrop of Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon and concerns of the war spilling over into Syria. Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, suspected Israeli airstrikes targeted positions of Lebanese Hezbollah and other Iran-backed militia groups in Syria.
Tensions in the region present an opportunity for the parties in Syria to resolve the country’s decade-long crisis, according to Toma.
“But we hope that the Syrian regime, as a result of these events, returns to its people and goes in the direction of accepting to return to the peace negotiations under the supervision of the United Nations and will seriously commit to the constitutional committee so peace is achieved,” Toma said, labeling the Astana format as “a good opportunity” to works towards resolving the problems.
“It is said when the country is subjected to an imminent external threat, it is possible for all the sides to unite in order to resolve the situations and problems,” he said.
This comes months after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Assad’s decade-long regional nemesis, signaled a willingness to restore ties with his neighbor.
In July, Erdogan said that he might invite Assad to Turkey, a month after Assad told a Russian delegation that he was open to “all initiatives related to the relationship between Syria and Turkey.”
However, Assad, who is backed by Iran and its proxies, has repeatedly preconditioned any potential rapprochement on the full withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syria.
The possible rapprochement between the two neighbors sparked riots in the rebel-held northwest Syria. In September protesters attacked Turkish-backed factions and Turkish troops in the area.
According to Toma, the Syrian opposition supports a rapprochement if it leads to resolving the crisis.
“If the approach (between Syria and Turkey) leads to the finding of a resolution in Syria, we certainly support it,” he said.
Syrians rose up against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in March 2011, leading to a full-scale civil war that has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and has left millions more in need of dire humanitarian assistance.
Over 13 million Syrians, half the country’s pre-war population, have been displaced since the start of the civil war, more than six million of which are refugees who have fled the war-torn country, according to UN figures.