Syria opposition delays decision on peace talks until Jan 17

Istanbul: Syria`s exiled opposition has postponed its decision on whether to take part in UN-hosted peace talks in Switzerland until January 17, following two days of heated debate in Turkey, members said. The general assembly of the mainstream opposition National Coalition decided to suspend its debate and meet again in the Turkish commercial hub of Istanbul on January 17, just five days before the peace conference is to take place near Geneva, they said. "The debates were very heated among the different groups that make up the coalition. It was not possible to take a decision," a source close to the opposition said. The Syrian National Council, the main component of the coalition, had said on Friday it would boycott the conference slated to start in Montreaux on January 22.