Syrian opposition not attending talks in Russia, Turkey to represent opposition: Turkish source

A man holds up a Syrian flag as attendees wait for the start of a plenary session at the Congress of Syrian National Dialogue in Sochi on January 30, 2018. (AFP)

ANKARA: The Syrian opposition has declined to attend a Syrian peace conference in Russia, a source in Turkey’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday, adding that the Turkish delegation would represent the opposition at the talks.
The conference in the Russian city of Sochi had gotten off to a rocky start earlier on Tuesday after some delegates opposed to Syrian President Bashar Assad refused to leave the airport on arrival, saying they were offended by the presence of the Syrian state’s flag and emblem.