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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A member of the Kurdish opposition umbrella group in northeast Syria has said that the unity talks between Syrian Kurdish political parties are “for the good of all Syrians” following the conclusion of the initial phase of discussions.
“Kurdish unity in Syria will serve all of Syria. Today, all the international figures say that the opposition should be united. The Kurdish political movement is part of this opposition,” Faysal Yousef, a member of the ENKS leadership told Rudaw TV on Saturday.
The ENKS is an umbrella group of several opposition parties with close ties to the Kurdistan Region’s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). The ENKS and the ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) have been at odds for several years, with the former accusing the latter of being unwilling to share power in northeast Syria, an area known to Kurds as Rojava.
The two sides began talks in Duhok in 2014, initiated by the leader of the KDP and then-President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani. Talks ended in a deal that was never implemented.
Discussions were revived in October 2019, with the first phase of discussions concluding this week. The two sides agreed on a set of “preliminary understandings” covering governance, administration and protection.
Speaking at a ceremony on Wednesday to announce the agreement, William Roebuck, the US deputy special envoy to Syria commended both sides for their “hard work” so far.
Later, a statement from the US embassy in Syria - which has been closed since the beginning of the civil war in 2011 - welcomed the initiative, saying the US supports the process.
“This understanding symbolizes an important first step towards greater political coordination between Syrian Kurdish political factions…and will contribute to a peaceful resolution of the Syrian conflict,” it read.
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