Kurds view Rojava-Damascus talks with mix of skepticism and remorse

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Kurdish political parties have little faith in talks with the Syrian government. While some continue to seek international guarantees before agreeing to dialogue, others regret missing the chance for talks with President Bashar al-Assad when he was at his weakest.

“If there is a chance for talks and peace, we do not support war and opposition,” Mohammed Ismail, politburo member of Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (KDP-S), told Rudaw.

“Our people have gone through many difficulties and hardships. However, we have not observed any Kurdish trust in the regime so far. The regime only wants a good citizen, nothing else.”

The regime did not come forward when it was weak, Ismail said. Now it has regained its strength with Russian backing, the Kurds find themselves at a disadvantage.

Recent Turkish threats to attack Kurdish-controlled northern Syria (Rojava) have pushed Kurdish parties – particularly the ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) – to seek talks with Damascus. Their priority is securing protection from Turkey.

Ahmed Sulaiman, a politburo member of the Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party (Pashvaro), says Kurds need unity before they even consider talks with the regime.

“We do not think the regime is ready to grant anything to the Kurds,” he told Rudaw. Assad has declined to meet with the party several times, he added.

Sulaimani said Syria is at the mercy of Turkey, Russia, and Iran – the guarantors of the Astana peace process.

The KDP-S official Ismail said Russia had turned down its invitation to act as guarantor in its meeting with Assad, but he insisted “one hour of dialogue and peace is better than a year of war.”

There have been a series of unofficial meetings between Rojava officials and the Syrian government, but no concrete agreements have been made. Despite Assad’s earlier statements he intends to retake northern Syria by force, both sides say they are keen to reach a deal.

Abdulsamad Khalaf Biro of the Democratic Union Party of Kurdistan – Syria (Yeketi) warned the regime is “succumbing to military options”.

However, Mahmoud Mohammed, a politburo member of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party in Syria (al-Wahda), is remorseful that his party initially rejected talks with the regime.

“I believe that Kurdish political movement made a historical mistake … At that time the Kurdish movement was powerful, not like now,” he said.

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