Activists: "Don’t go to Geneva" in call for boycott Syria talks

Syrian opposition activists came out against a new round of peace talks scheduled to begin in Geneva on Friday, with the future of the controversial negotiations up in the air, Middle East Eye said.

The third round of talks in Geneva had been due to start on Monday, but was postponed after intense disagreement over which opposition groups should attend.

Turkey, a key opponent of Assad, has threatened to boycott the negotiations if the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) - which it considers an offshoot of the outlawed PKK - are invited.

Russia, which is fighting alongside Assad, has tried to ensure that its own list of politicians opposed to Assad are invited.

High Negotiations Committee (HNC), a coalition of Syrian opposition groups formed in Riyadh last month,  said it would decide on Wednesday whether to attend.

The coalition, composed of key opposition groups, had said it wanted Assad and his allies to halt air strikes and lift sieges before they would agree to join negotiations.