UN Syria envoy is hopeful for the freeze of hostilities in Aleppo

The U.N. peace envoy to Syria is hopeful for a freeze of hostilities in Aleppo, U.N. Special Syria Envoy Staffan de Mistura's spokesperson Juliette Touma told daily Hürriyet following the talks between Syrian political and military opposition groups in Turkey.

"We met representatives from most of the groups, both armed and political, that are active on the ground in Aleppo. The talks were constructive. We are very hopeful and working very hard through the special envoy to make the freeze work," Touma told Hürriyet over a phone interview yesterday.

De Mistura held talks with the political and military wings of the Syrian opposition in Istanbul and Gaziantep to promote a cease-fire proposal for the northern city of Aleppo from Dec. 7 to 9.
However, Touma said the proposal that the U.N. brought was not a cease-fire, but a "freeze of hostilities" in Aleppo.

"We are not talking about a cease-fire. We are calling it a ‘freeze.' This is a U.N. proposal presented to the parties involved in the conflict in Syria. We have been pursuing consultations, meetings and visits to discuss with various stakeholders how to freeze operations in Aleppo, which will bring an end to the hostilities," she said.

Talks with Syrian government next

The Syrian opposition has been given an overview and been provided with more information on the freeze proposal, Touma said of the talks. "So far the discussions have been constructive. There is a big challenge ahead of us. Meanwhile, we will continue to discuss and advocate with the parties about the need to reach the freeze. The Deputy Special Envoy will be in Damascus in the coming days. He will also discuss with the Syrian government more information on the freeze and how it will be implemented ...