Turkey to meet Syrian opposition, rebel groups in Ankara on Friday – sources

(Reuters) – Turkey’s foreign ministry undersecretary will hold talks with representatives of the Syrian opposition in Ankara on Friday, ministry sources said, ahead of U.N.-sponsored peace talks on Syria scheduled for later this month.

The Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee, the main opposition umbrella group in Syria, along with other groups which took part in peace talks in Kazakhstan last month, will be among those attending, the foreign ministry sources said.

The next round of U.N.-backed peace talks on Syria has been scheduled for Feb. 20, diplomats said on Tuesday, about two weeks later than originally planned.

The January talks between the Syrian government and opposition in the Kazakh capital Astana ended with Russia, Turkey and Iran agreeing to monitor Syrian government and opposition compliance with a Dec. 30 truce.