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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A delegation from the Syrian Kurdish opposition group received Monday by a special Russian presidential envoy in Moscow was told Kurds must clarify their demands of Russia and turn reconciliatory talks between themselves into agreements for unity.
The three-member delegation from the Kurdish National Council (ENKS) met with Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian deputy foreign minister and special presidential envoy to the Middle East and Africa.
“The situation in Syria was looked into in detail, with a focus on the situation of northeast of the country,” read a statement from the Russian foreign ministry, and included “the need to take into account the interests of all the ethnic and religious groups in Syria.”
The delegation also discussed implementation of Russia’s October 22 deal with Turkey to end the latter’s Operation Peace Spring against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northern Syria.
The operation entered its second month on Monday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been accused of using the operation, which has displaced hundreds of thousands of predominantly Kurdish civilians, to re-engineer northern Syria’s demographic composition. He plans to resettle millions of mostly Arab Syrians, who fled to Turkey over the course of nearly a decade of conflict, in the area.
Kamiran Hajo, head of ENKS’ foreign relations and a member of Syrian constitutional committee, told Rudaw from Moscow that Russia advised them to make their demands clear and strike deals with other Syrian Kurds, in reference to the Democratic Union Party (PYD) - northeast Syria’s ruling party.
“When it comes to the Kurdish question, it [Russia] says that ‘You [Kurds] have to make deals and clarify your demands. Then, we can help you in ensuring rights in the future of Syria,'” he said.
The PYD took control of Kurdish areas of Syria in 2011, when regime forces left the region to protect other parts of the country when the Syrian uprising began. The ENKS and PYD have since been at odds.
ENKS officials and members have been jailed, its offices closed, and some of its leaders banned from entering northeast Syria due to their criticism of the PYD.
Before Turkey’s invasion, deals between the two parties were struck, but not implemented. The two sides have re-entered reconciliatory talks following the launch of Peace Spring.
The three-member delegation from the Kurdish National Council (ENKS) met with Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian deputy foreign minister and special presidential envoy to the Middle East and Africa.
“The situation in Syria was looked into in detail, with a focus on the situation of northeast of the country,” read a statement from the Russian foreign ministry, and included “the need to take into account the interests of all the ethnic and religious groups in Syria.”
The delegation also discussed implementation of Russia’s October 22 deal with Turkey to end the latter’s Operation Peace Spring against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northern Syria.
The operation entered its second month on Monday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been accused of using the operation, which has displaced hundreds of thousands of predominantly Kurdish civilians, to re-engineer northern Syria’s demographic composition. He plans to resettle millions of mostly Arab Syrians, who fled to Turkey over the course of nearly a decade of conflict, in the area.
Kamiran Hajo, head of ENKS’ foreign relations and a member of Syrian constitutional committee, told Rudaw from Moscow that Russia advised them to make their demands clear and strike deals with other Syrian Kurds, in reference to the Democratic Union Party (PYD) - northeast Syria’s ruling party.
“When it comes to the Kurdish question, it [Russia] says that ‘You [Kurds] have to make deals and clarify your demands. Then, we can help you in ensuring rights in the future of Syria,'” he said.
The PYD took control of Kurdish areas of Syria in 2011, when regime forces left the region to protect other parts of the country when the Syrian uprising began. The ENKS and PYD have since been at odds.
ENKS officials and members have been jailed, its offices closed, and some of its leaders banned from entering northeast Syria due to their criticism of the PYD.
Before Turkey’s invasion, deals between the two parties were struck, but not implemented. The two sides have re-entered reconciliatory talks following the launch of Peace Spring.
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