Syrian opposition figures meeting in Turkey say they are exploring ways to topple President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Hundreds of dissidents gathered in Istanbul on Saturday, a day after Syrian security forces opened fire on anti-government protesters, killing at least 32 people.
Conference leader Haitham al-Maleh told participants that Syria's current “regime” could not rob them of their freedom. Al-Maleh is a lawyer who spent time in Syrian prisons.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discussed Syria's unrest as she met with Turkish officials at a separate location in the city. She told reporters Syria's “brutality” must stop and a “legitimate, sincere effort” was needed to enact government reforms.
The so-called “National Salvation Conference” is one in a series of recent meetings organized by opposition figures. The group had planned to hold a similar meeting in Damascus, but security forces surrounded the meeting site on Friday and broke up preparations.
A Kurdish representative to the conference tells VOA's Kurdish Service that Kurdish participants pulled out of the conference on Saturday saying participants would not recognize the “ethnic rights of Kurds.”
Meanwhile, thousands of Syrians turned out near Damascus on Saturday for the funerals of some of the victims of Friday's unrest. Some mourners chanted anti-government slogans.
The Reuters news agency says security forces opened fire on protesters in the eastern border town of Albu Kamal on Saturday, killing one person. The state-run SANA news agency says security forces responded after “armed groups” set several government buildings on fire in the town.
Friday's anti-government protests were some of the largest to date. Tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied across the country.
The state-run SANA news agency said pro-government rallies took place in several cities.
Syrian President Assad is trying to crush a four-month old opposition uprising against his 11-year autocratic rule. He has made promises of political reforms, but opposition groups have dismissed the offers and demanded an end to the deadly crackdown on their movement.
