Opposition Exit From Syria Talks May Be Linked to Possible Turkish Invasion

The Saudi-backed Syrian opposition group may have exited the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva to wait for a shift in the balance of power with Turkey’s possible intervention in Syria, the head of Russia’s lower house of parliament foreign affairs committee said Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The High Negotiations Committee (HNC) said late Wednesday it planned to leave Geneva and would not return "until we see progress on the ground." UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura suspended the negotiations until February 25.

"The possible cause of the Syrian opposition’s withdrawal from the negotiations is a reliance on a shift in the balance of power in the event of Turkey’s military intervention in Syria," Alexei Pushkov tweeted.

The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier in the day it had "serious grounds" to suspect Turkey of preparing for a military incursion in Syria.

Turkey has previously deployed 250 troops and equipment in northern Iraq’s Nineveh province with a stated aim of training local troops combating the Islamic State jihadist group, outlawed in many countries including Russia, drawing international condemnation and calls to respect Iraq’s sovereignty.