Preparations underway in Syria for National Dialogue Conference

DAMASCUS/ISTANBUL

Preparations continue in the Syrian capital Damascus to hold a National Dialogue Conference, an official said Monday.

Hassan al-Dughaim, the spokesperson for the preparatory committee for the event, told reporters that the overthrow of the Baath regime with all its elements and the dismantling of the repressive security apparatus are the main goals of the conference.

Al-Dughaim added that the expulsion of foreign militias, the preservation of Syria's territorial integrity and the rejection of the sectarian and ethnic quota system are also among the main goals.

He said women should be represented in the national dialogue process not only with their identity as women but also with their professions.

He added that poets, writers, thinkers, businesspeople, tribal leaders and clerics are included in the process, while the PKK/YPG terrorist group and other armed entities are excluded.

Since the fall of Syria’s Bashar Assad regime in December, the PKK/YPG has attempted to exploit regional instability to create a “terror corridor” along the border with Türkiye.

The PKK, which has waged a 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, is classified as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the European Union. The YPG is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK.

Syria’s Military Operations Administration announced on Jan. 29 the appointment of Ahmed al-Sharaa as president, the repeal of the 2012 Constitution and the dissolution of the former regime’s parliament, army and security agencies.

On Feb. 12, the Syrian government announced the establishment of a preparatory committee for the National Dialogue Conference.