New Syrian umbrella group to open 'representative office' in Istanbul

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu,(R), and head of Syrian National Coalition for Opposition Mouaz al-Khatib pose before a meeting in Ankara, on November 23, 2012. AA PHOTO

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu announced on Friday that the newly formed Syrian opposition umbrella group, the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces, will be opening a representative office in Istanbul, without specifying when this office would be opened.

The head of the office will be regarded as "the representative of the Syrian people," Davutoğlu said, following talks with Mouaz Alkhatib, the head of the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces.

Asked whether this was a step intended to recognize the group as the sole representative of the Syrian people, as France did, Davutoğlu said some joint decisions may be taken at the upcoming meeting of the Friends of Syria group, which will be held in Morocco on Dec. 12.

Diplomatic sources said the new opposition group was expecting to be named as the sole representative of the Syrian people at the Morocco meeting.