Published by Ekurd Daily on Januari 19, 2017
CAIRO,— The U.S-backed Syrian Kurdish-led Democratic Forces (SDF) opposition group will not support the results of the meeting on Syria in Astana, as the SDF has not received an invitation to attend it, SDF spokesman Talal Selo said Wednesday.
The SDF consists mainly of Kurdish and Arab detachments, and participated in operations against Islamic State group with the support of the United States. “Since we have been excluded from these negotiations, we do not recognize the conference or any of its results,” Selo told Sputnik, adding that in his opinion, the Turkish authorities were the authors of the decision not to invite the SDF.
The Syrian peace consultations in Astana are expected to be held on January 23, with the opposition represented as a united bloc. The talks will be followed by a new round of negotiations on Syrian peace in Geneva on February 8.
The Kurdish the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) has not invited to peace talks in Kazakhstan, the party official Khaled Issa told AFP last week. The Syrian Democratic Federal Council in Syrian Kurdistan has said the peace talks in Astana will “fail” as Syrian Kurds are not being included in order to please Turkey.
The council said the Kurds have been excluded from Geneva-1, Geneva-2 and Geneva-3 meetings in order to please the Turkish state, and emphasized that this mistake is being repeating in Astana talks.
On December 17, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed in a phone call the possibility of a meeting between the Syrian conflicting parties in Astana. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev supported the initiative and expressed readiness to provide a platform for such talks in the Kazakh capital.
In 2013, Syrian Kurds have established three autonomous zones, or Cantons of Jazeera, Kobani and Afrin and a Kurdish government across Syrian Kurdistan (northern Syria) in 2013. On March 17, 2016 Syria’s Kurds declared a federal region in Syrian Kurdistan.
Syrian Kurds on Dec. 30, 2016 have approved a blueprint for a system of federal government in Syrian Kurdistan, reaffirming their plans for autonomy in areas they have controlled during the civil war.
U.S. regards the Kurdish YPG of Syrian Kurdistan as key ally against Islamic State and the most effective fighting force against IS in Syria and has provided them with arms, air support as well as the military advisers. The Kurdish militia has seized swathes of Syria from IS.
Copyright ©, respective author or news agency, sputniknews.com | Ekurd.net