The Syrian Nation Dialogue Congress that was held in the Russian resort town of Sochi last week was swarming with the Assad regime’s intelligence agents, who posed as civil society members and clergy, according to Turkish writer and commentator Bekir Atacan.
The main purpose of the talks that were held on Jan. 29 was to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria.
Attending the Sochi talks with the opposition as an “observer,” Atacan spoke to Yeni Şafak daily about what he witnessed during the event, noting that that due to a delay in starting the talks, he had a chance to observe participants and spend time with different groups in the lobby.
“It was made to appear as though there were representatives from every Syrian creed. But in reality, it was nothing like that. Syrian intelligence personnel were sent as businessmen or members of civil society organizations; even the clergy were mostly manufactured and sent to the congress by intelligence officers. The regime brought all groups to Sochi after vetting them.
“Groups made up from approximately 1,200 people were completely handpicked and brought there. Everything was done to be in service of that. The Syrian intelligence is very powerful. And thus to rid Syria of these, not only does Assad have to go, but his entire regime must be toppled as well. Syria’s fate must not be decided by this type of intelligence usurpers,” said Atacan.
Atacan pointed that only a small number of opposition representatives attended the congress in Sochi, “They’re American and French-backed. They don’t present serious opposition to the regime. With everyone practically on the same side, the congress proceeded very smoothly. I had the opportunity to spend time with some groups that are affiliated with the regime. They say that ‘Turkey broke our backs. If Turkey did not support the opposition we would wipe them out. Others would be willing to sit down with us, but those backed by Turkey are still standing.’
“And yet again we spoke with Armenian-origin participants about genocide claims, with PYD-affiliated ones of the Afrin operation, and with Baath regime participants of the Hatay issue. We wouldn’t be lying if we said that their animosity towards Turkey was the thing they all had in common. There was a pro-regime middle-aged fraction saying ‘We like the Turks, We’re on your side.’
“And as far as I saw, we can also say that, even though the PYD was not officially there, there were PYD figures in the pro-regime groups,” concluded Atacan.
The PYD is the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terror organization, which has waged war against Turkey for more than 40 years.
