Middle Orient News

Syria’s opposition in exile resisted calls Tuesday from Western and Arab countries to commit to attending peace talks, saying it would not take part if there was any chance President Bashar Assad remained in power.

A Turkish delegation of high-level officials yesterday passed on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s invite to the Iraqi Prime MinisterNouri al-Maliki during their visit to the country.

Kurdish rebels are ready to re-enter Turkey from northern Iraq, the head of the group’s political wing said at his mountain hideout, threatening to rekindle an insurgency unless Ankara resuscitates their peace process soon. Accusing Turkey of waging a proxy war against Kurds in Syria by backing Islamist rebels fighting …

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman has called Turkish President Abdullah Gül to thank Turkey for its efforts in saving nine Lebanese pilgrims who were being held hostage by the Syrian opposition and getting them home safely.

Bulgaria has asked for an additional EUR 6 M in order to cope with the ongoing refugee influx, Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetlin Yovchev revealed on Monday. Yovchev, who attended an emergency cabinet sitting over the refugee crisis, told reporters

The US condemned Syrian regime for its siege of suburbs in Damascus, calling on government “to allow immediate and unfettered humanitarian access to these areas,” particularly on Muadamiyet Al-Cham, where residents have been without “basic necessities” for nearly a year.

Recent developments in Egypt, Libya and Syria are on the agenda of the formal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg on Monday. According to EU sources, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton will brief the ministers about her recent trip to Cairo.

A SUICIDE bomber driving a truck packed with 1.5 tons of explosives killed at least 31 people and wounded dozens in the Syrian city of Hama yesterday. The man blew himself up inside the vehicle on a busy road on the outskirts of the city in central Syria, the SANA …

Saudi Arabia has turned down a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council, accusing the world body of failing to deal with the Syrian crisis. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said that the UN needs to be reformed, and in particular the Security Council.

Syrian air force jets bombarded the eastern city of Deir al-Zor on Friday after heavy overnight clashes and the killing of one of President Bashar Assad’s top military intelligence officers, activists said. General Jama’a Jama’a was shot dead on Thursday by snipers in the midst of a