MESOP NEWS HEADLINE : NO DEFINITIVE POSITIVE RESULT IN MOSCOW FOR PYD/PKK KURDS

Kurds Urge Russia to Support Federalization for Syria  – They call for strengthening Russian-Kurdish relations

Shoguna B. Sobir – 20 February 2017 – BasNews – ISTANBUL — Kurds from Syria, Iraq and Turkey made a joint declaration during the Kurdish National Conference held in Moscow, Russia on Friday. They urged Russia to support federalization of Syria and to protect the status of northern Kurdish-majority Syrian region, which was declared autonomous in 2016, but which the Syrian government does not recognize as legitimate.

The declaration called on Russia to consider deepening and strengthening Russian-Kurdish relations, consider the possibility for the Foreign Ministry to defend the legitimization of Northern Syria–Rojava Federation’s status in the international arena as a political and territorial entity in the new Syrian constitution,” said Farkhat Patiev, a member of the Kurdistan National Congress.

Without resolving the Kurdish issue, Syria’s future will remain under jeopardy, Patiev added.
Asya Abdullah, PYD co-chair, said that decisions taken on Syria in the upcoming Geneva talks, scheduled to take place on February 23rd, would not be recognized, because a legitimate decision pertaining to Syria’s future must include representatives of all of its inhabitants, but the PYD as such continues to be excluded from the talks.

Although Russia has been calling for the inclusion of Kurds in such talks, including the PYD, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussing the matter with PYD officials in Moscow earlier in January, Turkey has been opposing their inclusion in any talks about Syria, regarding it as an offshoot to Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).