MESOPOTAMIA NEWS : Syrian Kurdish dialogue to continue –  PYD spokesperson

The PYD and the KNC, the two major factions among Syrian Kurdish parties, renewed negotiations in early November in efforts to stand together as a united front after Turkey’s cross-border offensive in northern Syria in October 2019.

December 23rd 2020   02:12 – Democratic Union Party (PYD) spokesperson Sama Baghdash.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Sama Baghdash, the spokesperson of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), told Kurdistan 24 on Monday that the intra-Kurdish dialogue between the main Syrian Kurdish political parties will continue after the formation of a new US administration.

“Due to the absence of monitoring parties [US diplomats], our meetings have been on hold for a while,” Bagdash told Kurdistan 24, noting that the intra-Kurdish dialogue would continue after the transition to a new US administration is complete.

“As the PYNK [Kurdish National Unity Parties allied to the PYD], we are decisive in holding these talks [Kurdish National Council] in [the] near future, despite recent challenges and incidents which impact the intra-Kurdish talks,” she added.

The PYD and the KNC, the two major factions among Syrian Kurdish parties, renewed negotiations in early November in efforts to stand together as a united front after Turkey’s cross-border offensive in northern Syria in October 2019.

Current tensions between the two initially increased during the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, with the PYD playing a significant role in the establishment of the self-administration that has ruled northeastern Syria since.

The parties have yet to successfully cooperate, even after agreements they reached at talks held in the neighboring Kurdistan Region’s Duhok and Erbil provinces from 2012 and 2014 with support from the KRG, because the many provisions of the agreements were never effectively implemented.

Last week, there were attacks on several KNC offices by unknown assailants. The incident was seen as an attempt to undermine the dialogue between the Syrian Kurdish parties.

Mazloum Abdi, the commander-in-chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), responded on Twitter last week, stating that “no one has the right to attack the offices of the KNC and any other political party in Rojava.” He affirmed that the Internal Security Forces (ISF) would “rise to their duties according to the law.”

Hesen Remzi, a member of the Central Committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party-Syria (PDK-S), told Kurdistan 24 last week that “such actions are not in the interest of the Kurdish people.”

Last week, the Asayish (Internal Security Forces) arrested 46 people in Qamishlo and Tirbespi. This included three family members of fighters of the Rojava Peshmerga, a Syrian Kurdish force trained by the Peshmerga in the Kurdistan Region. The Roj Peshmerga are the armed wing of the KNC. However, after talks between the SDF and the KNC, the three people were reportedly released.

“Talks for Kurdish unity are underway. Burning the offices of the Kurdish National Council (KNC) at this time were attempts to hinder these talks,” Salih Muslim, the former co-head of the PYD, told local media on Saturday. “In the first place, they are trying to disrupt Kurdish unity in any way.”

Muslim recently told Kurdistan 24 that there are efforts to continue the talks and that “no one has left the table,” adding “that the parties will gather together again at a short time.”

“Let us not forget that there are agreements on the most critical issues, the Political Agenda, the Supreme Body (Political Reference) are two main subjects that have been agreed [on] by both parties. Now, other phases of the process will be discussed soon.”

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany