Enemy of Syria Meeting in Turkey, amid divisions between major participants

Representatives from mostly Western states and a number of their Arab allies have gathered in the Turkish capital of Istanbul for the second so-called ‘Friends of Syria’ meeting.

The officials are holding the talks in Istanbul regarding the internal issues of Syria, amid growing divisions over supplying arms to the Syrian terrorists.

Security was tight at the Istanbul Congress Center on Sunday as the anti-Damascus conference began its work.

The Western-led summit organizers claim the gathering aims to unite the divided opposition.

Two key participants, the US and Saudi Arabia, are divided over supplying weapons to the opposition.

Riyadh wants weapons to be sent to the terrorist groups in Syria. But Washington says it fears the arms would end up in the wrong hands.

Two veto-holding members of the UN Security Council, Russia and China, as well as Iraq, the presiding member of the Arab League, have boycotted the Istanbul talks.

On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich told reporters in Moscow that the conference does not seek a settlement in Syria and desires to prepare the stage for an intervention.

“Its participants are not looking for dialogue that could put an end to the conflict, on the contrary, it may pave the way for external interference,” Lukashevich said.

On February 24, Tunisia hosted the first “Friends of Syria” conference, during which Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal described arming Syrian rebels as “an excellent idea.”

Meanwhile, Damascus has accepted a six-point plan by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to end the year-long unrest in Syria.

Syria has blamed outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist gangs for the unrest in the country, asserting that it is being orchestrated from abroad. The West and the Syrian opposition, however, accuse the Syrian government of killing protesters.