Rojava has good ties in Kurdistan Region, but not with KDP: NES official

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Kurdish Syrian official Abdulkarim Omar has spoken of frosty ties with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), particularly the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), because it has not recognized the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (NES).  

“We are in good talks with all the parties in Southern Kurdistan [Kurdistan Region], however with the KDP it is not the same,” the co-chair of the NES Foreign Relations Department said in a Tuesday interview with the NES-affiliated ANHA News Agency, noting that the NES has representatives and “recognition” in Sulaimani, dominated by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), but not in Erbil.

“We have recognition and representatives in Sulaimani, unfortunately not in Erbil,” said Omar.  

The KRG “unfortunately haven’t recognized and accepted this autonomous administration,” he added, citing the KDP’s power in the government. 

The official also said he hopes the KRG “changes its position.. for the unity of all Kurds,” saying the Turkish occupation of areas of northern Syria, and the loss of Kirkuk to Iraqi federal forces in 2017 would not have happened if Kurdish powers were united. 

“Had Kurdish powers been unified, Afrin, Gire Spi (Tel Abyad) and Sari Kani (Ras al-Ain)  would had never been occupied by Turkish Occupation Forces and Kirkuk would had never underwent such events.”

Ankara and its Syrian proxies currently control parts of Syria’s Aleppo and Idlib provinces, as well as a stretch of northeast Syria taken during an October 2019 invasion. 

The KDP has been involved in talks seeking to unite Syrian Kurdish political parties since 2014.

The ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) and opposition Syrian Kurdish National Council (ENKS) have been at odds for several years, with the latter accusing the former of being unwilling to share power in northeast Syria, known to Kurds as Rojava. 

The talks first took place in Duhok in 2014. Initiated by Masoud Barzani, then President of the Kurdistan Region and leader of the KDP, the initial talks ended in a deal which was never implemented.   

A new wave of discussions began in October 2019. 

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Wednesday encouraged a new round of unity talks set to take place in the near future, saying that “negotiations are the only way to resolve issues” and will be supported by the KRG.