ERBIL, Kurdistan Region-- The co-leader of the People's Democratic Party (HDP) Selahettin Demirtas said Thursday that Kurdish parties should enter an accord based on national interests and preserve "the spirit of their cooperation."
Speaking at a joint press conference in Erbil with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) official Fazil Mirani, Demirtas said the two parties would work together despite "ideological differences."
"We need to ensure people that although our ideologies are different, we will cooperate with each other to deepen our brotherhood and democracy and find solutions for our disagreements," he told reporters in the KDP stronghold of Salahaddin near Erbil on Thursday.
Demirtas will head for Sulaimani later today after concluding his meeting with the Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani.
In Sulaimani Demirtas is scheduled to hold talks with the Change Movement (GORRAN) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
Relations between the KDP and HDP have largely been stable, but the two have significant differences over a number of issues, particularly their views of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Turkey and its goals.
The HDP has close similarities in its ideology with the PKK, but has maintained there is no institutional relations between both parties.
The PKK gave up its main demand for a Kurdish statehood in late 1990s and early 2000s in Turkey, and instead has advocated a system it calls 'democratic confederalism'.
The KDP on the other hand has recently advocated for an independent state for the Kurds in the Iraqi Kurdistan. It also supports the Kurdish parties in Turkey, Syria, and Iran who share this view.
Demirtas said "great responsibilities" lie with the KDP and the HDP in solving the lingering issues and encouraged both sides to strengthen their "spirit of cooperation."
"These historic meetings are a great response to our adversaries," said KDP's Mirani and added that the two parties had "many common concerns" which they had agreed to work out.
"This is the best way to address the shortcomings and to mend fences," Mirani said.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Erbil with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) official Fazil Mirani, Demirtas said the two parties would work together despite "ideological differences."
"We need to ensure people that although our ideologies are different, we will cooperate with each other to deepen our brotherhood and democracy and find solutions for our disagreements," he told reporters in the KDP stronghold of Salahaddin near Erbil on Thursday.
Demirtas will head for Sulaimani later today after concluding his meeting with the Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani.
In Sulaimani Demirtas is scheduled to hold talks with the Change Movement (GORRAN) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
Relations between the KDP and HDP have largely been stable, but the two have significant differences over a number of issues, particularly their views of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Turkey and its goals.
The HDP has close similarities in its ideology with the PKK, but has maintained there is no institutional relations between both parties.
The PKK gave up its main demand for a Kurdish statehood in late 1990s and early 2000s in Turkey, and instead has advocated a system it calls 'democratic confederalism'.
The KDP on the other hand has recently advocated for an independent state for the Kurds in the Iraqi Kurdistan. It also supports the Kurdish parties in Turkey, Syria, and Iran who share this view.
Demirtas said "great responsibilities" lie with the KDP and the HDP in solving the lingering issues and encouraged both sides to strengthen their "spirit of cooperation."
"These historic meetings are a great response to our adversaries," said KDP's Mirani and added that the two parties had "many common concerns" which they had agreed to work out.
"This is the best way to address the shortcomings and to mend fences," Mirani said.
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