The Syrian Interim Government supports a solution based on political transition and expects party countries to pressure President Bashar Assad’s regime to comply with an international decision that is relevant to that end, according to the head of the government Abdurrahman Mustafa.

"We’re aware the Assad regime doesn’t want a political solution and as the Syrian opposition, we joined these negotiations to show the international community the regime will never side with such a notion," Mustafa told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Monday on the eve of the Syrian civil war’s 12th anniversary.

The U.N.-facilitated Syrian Constitutional Committee talks in Geneva failed to yield the desired progress either, Mustafa emphasized.

"We can see that the Assad regime’s delegation no longer attends the committee talks either because of the attitude from Russia, which looks for an excuse to sabotage any political solution at every turn," Mustafa explained.

Despite previously objecting to holding the talks in Geneva under the pretext of it not being "neutral," Russia considers the Syrian case as a bargaining chip in its war in Ukraine, Mustafa further argued, saying, "Iran too similarly sees us as leverage in its nuclear negotiations."

Quake aftermath

The Feb. 6 earthquakes, which claimed more than 54,000 lives in southeastern Türkiye and northwestern Syria combined, have deepened the suffering of the region’s residents, Mustafa went on to say.

Recounting the U.N. was "late" in delivering aid to the disaster victims in Syria, especially opposition-held areas that took the brunt of the damage, Mustafa said it was "saddening" that international humanitarian aid was subject to "political blackmail."

"Our people, who had long been let down before the earthquakes, relived the same fate during the disaster," he noted.

Echoing the U.N.’s deputy secretary-general’s remarks about the late response, Mustafa stressed that the world body "must fulfill its responsibility and provide shelter and aid to the Syrian people."

He further thanked Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar for their support to the disaster-stricken people.

Regime blockade

Mustafa went on to argue that the Assad regime, looking to utilize the earthquakes for political motives to dodge sanctions, "seized humanitarian aid sent for the victims in the opposition-held areas."

"The pain imposed by the regime on the Syrian people is much bigger than the destruction caused by the earthquakes. The world cannot forget the crimes and rights violations the Assad regime committed against the people of Syria," Mustafa said. "It’s this regime that bombs and massacres Syrians, drives them out of their homes and detains them."

The Feb. 6 earthquakes left at least 3,688 dead and 14,749 injured in Syria, including in opposition-controlled regions.

Mass returns

As for the slow return of Syrian refugees driven out of the country due to the civil war, Mustafa said he was "impatient for a comprehensive solution that would ensure the return of all displaced Syrians and end their suffering."

"We want to see this dream of our people come true," he noted. "But the Assad regime’s crimes against its people are preventing their voluntary and safe return."

Crimes of the Assad regime’s security forces, such as killing, detaining and raping of those returning have been documented by international organizations like Amnesty International and others, Mustafa informed. "Therefore, voluntary returns of civilians to regime-held areas is impossible so long as there is no political solution to ensure their safety."

The terror group PKK and its Syrian affiliate YPG too make safe returns impossible in areas they occupy, according to Mustafa.

"The PKK forcefully recruits youths and detains those that object to it. These people cannot return to these areas. We need proper conditions for mass returns," he said.

Mustafa explained that the north of the country, which has been made into safe zones after terrorist elements were eradicated, could host more Syrians. "Due to increasing population, the region needs more development projects and aid that would satisfy its residents," he noted.

The PKK/YPG, however, Mustafa added, continues disrupting the peace of the region’s people with back-to-back terrorist attacks.

As the Syrian civil war turns 12 on March 15, the end doesn’t seem to be any nearer.

The past decade saw nearly half a million killed and over 12 million fleeing their homes to seek refuge elsewhere. While fighting has recently mellowed and about 40% of the country is controlled by opposition forces, the Assad regime is insistent on ignoring the needs of the Syrian people in its aim to further territorial gains and crush the opposition.