ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – An important Kurdish National Conference, aimed at gathering all Kurdish political groups and setting a roadmap for the Middle East’s 30 million Kurds, will convene in the first half of September, its organizers said Thursday.
The Erbil conference had been announced for August 24, but organizers said they would set a new date in September, following disagreements by some groups in Thursday’s meetings.
The conference has been in the making for years, but planning began in earnest after Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani held talks with political leaders of 39 Kurdish groups across the Middle East last month.
Even though all parties are united in their belief that a National Conference is needed at this time to discuss the Kurdish question in the region, particularly that of Kurds in Syria and Turkey, in Thursday’s meeting some disagreements were visible.
Representatives of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) seemingly want the conference to be in August, because they intend to direct a message to the Turkish government about their struggle and peace deal early next month.
The PKK wanted to have the backing of all Kurdish parties through the conference before drafting its message.
But Kemal Kirkuk, a senior official of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and a major figure in organizing the conference, said that every detail has now been finalized and the date and time will be announced soon.
Saadi Ahmed Pira, a member of the political bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), said the meeting would probably not be held this month because more time was needed to organize every aspect of the conference.
“If we want to have a successful conference we have no time for everything this month,” Pira said. He added that August is a month of holidays and foreign guests might not be able to attend.
Meanwhile, committees formed in preliminary meetings have been assigned to set the agenda of the conference.
Representatives of Kurdish parties from Syria, Iran and Turkey – as well as the Kurdistan Regin itself -- will address political, economic and cultural issues in their respective countries and put forward their vision for Kurds in those countries.
