We Weren't Invited to Riyadh Talks – Syrian Opposition Party

The secretary of Syria's opposition People's Party told Sputnik that his party was not invited to attend the talks held in Riyadh with some opposition political leaders and armed rebel factions.

Syria's opposition People's Party was not invited to the Riyadh talks, a three day conference of opposition leaders and armed rebel factions in Syria, Sheikh Nawaf Abdel-Aziz al-Melhem, the party's secretary general, told Sputnik.

"We did not receive a formal invitation to attend the Riyadh Talks."

"In addition to that, this is an unapproved action since the figures invited to the Talks (by and supported by parties of the USA, Gulf, Turkey) are those who are involved in shedding the blood of the Syrian people and Syrian Army," said al-Melhem.

"Therefore, we won’t attend such suspicious talks that have the intention of brain washing just like doing money laundry for some figures; and then calling them later 'Military Moderate Opposition!' We classify the so-called 'opposition' as terrorists; we do not differentiate between them and 'Daesh,'" said the politician.

The talks held in Riyadh are aimed at bringing together militant groups and opposition politicians who have backing from Saudi Arabia. As well as the People's Party, other political parties, including the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed force, the YPG, were also not invited. The Kurds held their own meeting in the northeastern Syrian province of Hasakah.