Former opposition head calls Syria 'global crisis'

ANKARA

The former head of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, also known as the Syrian National Coalition, Khaled Khoja said on Tuesday the Syrian crisis became a “global crisis”.

Speaking on a panel co-sponsored by Turkish think-tank the Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM) and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) political foundation in Ankara titled, “The effects of the Syrian crisis on neighboring countries,” Khoja said the Syrian crisis has become a global crisis and needs to be addressed as such.

“Following the chemical attack on June 2013 in Ghouta, the regime survived by buying time through Russia’s mediation. And after the 2014 nuclear deal between Iran and the U.S. in Oman, Iran became a key player in the region. Now we are seeing a process in Syria that is structured around Iran and Russia.”

Khoja added the conflict between Turkey and Russia over Syria and the one between Saudi Arabia and Iran in Yemen are a reflection of the Russia-Iran centric process in Syria.

ORSAM head Saban Kardas said, “Refugees are the ones who are affected the most by the Syrian crisis,” adding that the conflict has economic and security consequences as well.

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) political foundation Turkey representative Colin Durkop said, “Germany last year announced it would accept 1.1 million refugees but we need to do a lot regarding the refugee problem.”

According to a tally compiled by Anadolu Agency, more than 361,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict erupted in 2011.