Syria on the agenda at Istanbul conference
Dozens of countries today sought to set conditions for a new Syria, pushing for tighter sanctions and diplomatic pressure to further isolate president Bashar Assad, while urging the opposition to offer a democratic alternative to his regime.
Yet the show of solidarity at the “Friends of the Syrian People” conference in the Turkish capital Istanbul was marred by the absence of China, Russia and Iran – key supporters of Assad who disagree with Western and Arab allies over how to stop the bloodshed.
