Assad regime strives to export Syrian crisis to Turkey, says SNC chief

Abdulbaset Sieda, the head of the Syrian National Council (SNC), an umbrella organization encompassing various opposition groups in Syria, has stated that the Assad regime is seeking to export the 18-month Syrian uprising to neighboring countries, including Turkey." The Baath regime strives to regionalize the Syrian crisis by spilling the 18-month uprising across the border into neighboring countries, including Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon," Sieda said in an interview with Today's Zaman, adding that by doing so, the Assad regime plans to divert attention away from the country by keeping those countries busy with, and concentrated on, solving the domestic troubles caused by the crisis. In a critical response to Turkey's main opposition party's harsh criticism of the Turkish government's position over the escalating crisis, Sieda urged Turkey's opposition to stop using the problems related to the Syrian crisis in the region for political gain." As a matter of fact, this is compatible with the interests of the Baath regime that is endeavoring to extend the political crisis in the country across the region," Sieda noted, adding that Turkey's opposition should handle the issue by taking Turkey's interests into account. According to Sieda, the rally staged last week in Hatay, a province in southern Turkey, to display support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is part of the plan to export the escalating humanitarian crisis across the border into Turkey." Turkey's main opposition party wants the Syrian crisis and the slaughter of Syrian people to be perceived as the main issue of the ruling AK Party [the Justice and Development Party]. However, the [Syrian] uprising came from the people who are seeking their rights and freedoms," Sieda said. Dismissing claims that the US government is not in contact with the SNC, as it is trying to invalidate the council, Sieda noted that they were continuing their meetings and cooperation with the US government.