HATAY, Turkey
The Secretary General of the Istanbul-based Syrian Turks' Association has pointed out the presence of a growing Iranian influence in Syria.
"Syrian opponents are fighting against Iran, Hezbollah and secret powers rather than Syrian troops in Syria," Ahmed Vezir told The Anadolu Agency Sunday, adding that Iran was increasingly having a "greater say" in Syria.
He also said Iranian troops were taking an "active" role in the country.
In January, a suspected Israeli attack killed an Iranian general, Mohammed Ali Allahdadi. as well as Hezbollah members, in Syria.
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has denied the presence of Iranian troops in his country.
"We invited Hezbollah but not the Iranians. There are no Iranian troops in Syria and they have not sent any troops," said Assad in an interview with French television last week.
Iran, Assad's main regional ally, has acknowledged sending military advisers to Syria but has denied having combat troops on the ground.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, has sent fighters to bolster Assad’s forces.
Vezir said opposition forces in Syria had united in many locations across the country, making significant gains against the regime troops, citing recent victories in the Idlib province and in the city of Jisr as-Shugur.
"The strengthening of the opposition has weakened the regime, causing disintegration and cracks inside the regime," said Vezir.
As an example of the regime's shaky disposition, Vezir said Rustom Gazali, the head of Syrian military intelligence, had been murdered by unknown assailants.
While Lebanese media have announced Gazali’s death in Damascus on Friday, citing relatives, reports over the cause of death have been conflicting .
On Saturday and Sunday, more than 60 people were killed by Syrian warplanes and hundreds of others wounded in the city, the Syrian Revolution General Commission said, confirmed by Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Syria has been gripped by stalemate since the regime launched a violent crackdown in response to anti-government protests in March 2011, triggering a conflict that has killed more than 220,000, including in excess of 10,000 children, according to the UN.
The conflict has also forced more than 3.9 million Syrians to seek refuge in neighboring countries.
The Syrian Turks' Association aims to help Syrians in Turkey on a social, cultural and educational level and boost their relations with Turkish citizens.
