Saudi Arabia's new attempt at a coalition in Syria could invigorate the sectarian conflict, Turkish political analyst Fehim Tastekin told Sputnik Turkiye.
Part of the issue is that Saudi Arabia has a warped list of "terrorists," in which it includes Shia groups, opposition activists, and even atheists, but excludes Islamic fundamentalists who carry out actual terrorist attacks, according to Tastekin. Saudi Arabia and Qatar also sponsored many terrorist groups now active in Syria, including Daesh and al-Nusra Front, the analyst added.
"For Saudi Arabia, the main terrorists are Shiites. At the same time, the large number of groups with Wahhabi ideology are not considered terrorists by the Saudis," Tastekin told Sputnik.
"In my view, the only thing that carrying out this initiative can lead to, is an intensification of confrontation on the Sunni-Shia axis and the strengthening of a rhetoric of animosity as a result of the situation in the region," Tastekin said.
Tastekin also said that he sees the attempt to create a coalition as a way to block Iran from having a role in resolving the Syrian conflict.
