SALIH MUSLIM – PYD: Kurdish High Council made some promises

PYD: Kurdish High Council made some promises

13 December 2012 – ANF – Despite the fact that not all our demands have been definitely accepted, we got a promise from the Coalition, says Saleh Muslim. Speaking to Yeni Özgür Politika daily about the recent talks between Kurdish High Council and Syrian opposition groups, Democratic Union Party (PYD) co-chair Saleh Muslim said that the majority of Kurds’ demands were found acceptable.

The National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces which was formed in on 11 November 2012 at a conference of opposition groups held Doha, Qatar didn’t include Kurds in the first place. The Coalition which a number of countries started to recognize as the legitimate representative of Syrian opponents later invited the National Council of Syrian Kurds (NCSK) which however rejected the invitation defending that the Council didn’t represent all Kurds. The Coalition therewith sat down at the table with a delegation of seven members of the Kurdish High Council (KHC) on behalf of Kurds. Concerning the negotiation process, PYD Leader Saleh Muslim said that Kurds are now represented by the mentioned KHC delegation.

“Despite the fact that not all our demands have been definitely accepted, we got a promise from the Coalition for the election of a Kurdish deputy president of the Coalition, constitutional assurance for the rights of Kurds, recognition of the Kurdish identity and culture as well as provision of Kurdish education at schools”, said Muslim and added the followings concerning the discussions on the new political status of Kurds in Syria;

“The choice between a Federation or a Democratic Autonomy form of governance were both on the table during the talks with the Coalition which, it seems, will agree on the Democratic Autonomy. Details will become clear in the coming period when also the name of the Syrian Arab Republic will change to Syrian Republic”. Referring to Kurdish defense forces YPG, Muslim said that; “Everyone needs to see and accept that YPG is the force of all Kurds. It will not be affilated to Free Syrian Army but it will act in coordination with it”. Muslim underlined that the talks between two sides were carried out on the basis of promises, not an official agreement, adding that; “A transition period is expecting the Syrian country where the government will change after the formation of a provisional government in this process. Kurds and the National Council of Syrian Kurds (NCSK) will once again have talks on their agreement once constitutional commissions are established after the government change.”