BBC news with Jonathan Izard.

In his first live national address since June, president Bashar al-Assad of Syria has again condemned the opposition as foreign terrorists while offering what he described as a political solution to the conflict. President Assad said his initiative to end the violence would involve a national reconciliation conference to write a new constitution. James Reynolds reports from neighbouring Turkey.

Bashar al-Assad spoke for almost an hour in front of more than 1000 supporters gathered inside the Damascus opera hall. "We will continue to fight terrorism", President Assad told the audience, which appeared to take great pleasure in each of his words. Mr Assad repeated his assertion that the opposition in Syria was being led by what he called "foreign terrorists" organized by al-Qaeda. He offered to hold talks with an opposition acceptable to him, not with what he called "puppets" created by the west. As he ended his speech, dozens of supporters surged onto the podium to try to embrace him. The president struggled to leave the stage.

The US state department described President Assad's speech as another attempt to cling to power that did nothing to advance the Syrian people's goal of a political transition. The Opposition National Coalition in Syria also dismissed the speech.

A spokesman in Turkey Halid Hoca said President Assad wanted to scupper international efforts led by the United Nations mediator Lakhdar Brahimi towards a negotiated end to the conflict.