ISTANBUL
Syria's main opposition group, Syrian National Coalition, has threatened to withdraw its attendence at Geneva II following the UN's invitation to Iran, who have provided support to the Assad regime, to attend the conference due to begin Wednesday.
Spokesperson for the Syrian National Coalition, Luey as-Safi told Anadolu Agency that its participation in the peace talks will be suspended unless UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon retracts his invitation to Iran to attend he first day of talks in Montreux, Switzerland.
The Syrian National Coalition agreed to attend last week, after months of reluctance.
The opposition stipulates that Iran must withdraw its troops from Syria and officially accept the Geneva communique in Syria if it wants to attend the conference.
The Geneva communique calls for cessation of violence by both the government and armed opposition, release of prisoners, freedom of movement for journalists, freedom of association and full humanitarian access.
Spokesperson for US Department of State, Jen Psaki, in a statement in response to Ban's invitation, said the invitation should be cancelled if Iran does not fully and clearly accept the Geneva communique.
Iran confirmed it received an invitation to attend Geneva II conference, but gave no information about whether it would attend or not, according to Iranian official news IRNA agency.
Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazzayeri said, "The previous decisions taken by foreign powers in accordance of their own benefits cannot constitute a basis for the future talks," adding what should be taken as a basis is Syrian people's decision about their future.
Geneva-II has been set up to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria and is scheduled to begin Wednesday in Montreux.
Brokered by the US and Russia, the conference is set to bring both sides of the major conflict together.
More than 100,000 people have been killed in three years of conflict which has also created 6.5 million displaced people. Over two million are now registered as refugees in neighboring countries, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.
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