Syrian body submits constitutional committee list

By Sibel Ugurlu

ANKARA

The Syrian Negotiation Commission has submitted a list of 50 candidates to represent the Syrian opposition in the constitutional committee, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

In response to a question on the current state of affairs regarding the establishment of a Constitutional Committee within the framework of the political solution process for the Syrian conflict, Hami Aksoy said the list of 50 candidates, prepared in coordination with Turkey, for members who will represent the opposition in the constitutional committee was submitted to the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

"On the same day, Turkey officially confirmed in writing to the UN Special Envoy for Syria that it supports the list prepared by the SNC," Aksoy said.

Aksoy said after the Syrian National Dialogue Congress on Jan. 30 called for the establishment of a constitutional committee, three guarantor states of the Astana platform -- Turkey, Russia and Iran -- have been working in close coordination with Mistura to implement the results of the Congress.

"Most recently, the heads of delegations of the three countries participating in the Astana meetings came together with De Mistura in Geneva on 18-19 June 2018 and discussed the principles concerning the composition and functioning of the committee.

"The discussions between the Astana guarantors and the UN Special Envoy for Syria regarding the constitutional committee will continue in Geneva in the coming weeks," Aksoy added.