Salih Muslim’s Press Conference Before Going to Istanbul

Short summary of PYD’s co-chair Salih Muslim during the press conference in Erbil. He now went for two days to Istanbul and Turkey to discuss the recent problems and the PYD’s vision on a transitional government and to explain them why their area is not a ‘threat’ to Turkey:

– We call on international support against gangs
– We want to establish a civilian administration with all faiths, groups, nations, ideologies. “We are part of Syria”, “we are not a threat to the region.
– There are problems with food, water, electricity and electricity, ‘that’ s why we need a civilian government, our doors are open to anyone who wants to get involved’.
– Al-Qaida linked groups attacked YPG ‘to create enmity between Arabs and Kurds.
– The ‘gangs’ took hundreds of civilians hostage, looted their homes and ‘brutally tortured them’.
– Salih Muslim called on all forces to pressure the states that support the ‘creation of such gangs’.
ANF published another PYD statement on the position of the PYD on the recent attacks.

Salih Muslim: Kurdish parties back draft interim government ANF – News Desk 24.07.2013 10:08:25 Co-chair of the Democratic Union Party PYD Salih Muslim said they discussed the draft of the interim government with all the Kurdish parties, especially with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Kurdistan Workers Party. He pointed out that all parties confirmed their support for the draft, but that their views have not been stated formally. Concerning the Syrian oppositions opinion on the draft interim self-management, Muslim said:” we did not announce the interim administration in western Kurdistan formally; it is only a draft for discussion, and I believe everyone should support and endorse this project”. He stressed that it is through the participation of The National Coordination Body for Democratic Change in Syrian that the draft has been introduced and therefore “we did not see any negative reaction”. But there are those who want to convey to the public that this project aims to divide Syria and accuses the Kurds of being separatists. These accusations are made from a chauvinistic standpoint. The people in western Kurdistan are in need of management or an interim government in order to provide for the conduct of their affairs and to meet the requirements of their daily life. Mislim pointed out that the coordinating body would issue a statement in support for the legitimacy of the interim administration in western Kurdistan. However there are some parties seeking to exaggerate some matters, and they do not want Kurds to live in a safe and stable environment. The United States too did not accept the idea of the interim government in western Kurdistan, but after a meeting with the representative of our party met with officials from the state department, there seems to be at least some hope for debating it. http://en.firatajans.com/news/news/salih-muslim-kurdish-parties-back-draft-interim-government.htm#.Ue-WImoTAOk.twitter

Posted by Wladimir van Wilgenburg / Transnational Middle East Observer