US happy with progress of Kurdish unity initiative in northeast Syria: source

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — William Roebuck, the top US diplomat in northern Syria, met with a number of Kurdish party representatives in northeast Syria on Sunday and told them that he is happy with the progress the initiative to unite Kurdish parties has made, according to a party source.  

The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Rudaw positive steps have been taken to cast aside the differences between the ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the opposition umbrella group, the Kurdish National Council (ENKS). 

Months after Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), announced an initiative to bring together Kurdish parties in northeastern Syria, known to Kurds as Rojava, several meetings have taken place between the ENKS and the Movement for a Democratic Society (TEV-DEM), the umbrella group for the ruling PYD and its allies. 

The SDF confirmed the visit of the top US diplomat, but did not reveal the details of the meetings, except to say that they took place within the framework of the initiative by Abdi and that the meetings were with eight non-ENKS Kurdish politicians, largely from the TEV-DEM. 

The ENKS has reopened some of its offices, which were previously closed by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (NES), after the latter said it would allow their unconditional reopening. The offices were closed after the ENKS refused to follow the procedures to open offices, as they do not recognize the authority of the NES. 

Reconciliation delegation 

A delegation of Kurdish intellectuals and lawyers from Kobane have recently launched a separate effort to bring together rivaling Kurdish parties in Syria, an initiative requested by the international community and authorities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. 

They visited both the ENKS and PYD offices in Rojava on Sunday. The delegation met with Abdi as well.

Sama Bagdash, PYD spokesperson, told reporters on Sunday that they “see the [Kobane delegation] initiative as something sacred. We are ready to do anything that falls on us to develop this initiative.” 

Hussein Mohammed Ali, a member of the Kobane delegation, told Rudaw on Sunday,  "we have no other option but to cast aside our differences. For us the matter of Kurdish identity is very important." 

"Mr. Abdi was very positive and very happy for our attempt at bringing different Kurdish sides together," Ali said, adding that Abdi agreed that despite political differences, Kurdish parties should remain united in their rhetoric.

The SDF commander told reporters on Sunday that they are “optimistic that efforts put to build unity will bear fruit." 

"All the political parties have a positive stance," Abdi claimed, also saying the people of Rojava are supporting the reconciliation initiative. 

Gesture of goodwill?

The ENKS has claimed that their years-long dispute with the TEV-DEM has resulted in the arrest of several of their members by security forces for criticizing the NES, in addition to the confiscation of their properties and party offices. 

A source from within the SDF told Rudaw on Monday that the house of Abdulkarim Bashar, a member of the opposition group, the Kurdistan Democratic Party-Syria (PDK-S) and deputy leader of Turkish-backed Syrian opposition coalition, has been returned to him, after it was confiscated by local authorities. 

This is a gesture of goodwill from the PYD to aid the progression of their talks with the ENKS, as PDK-S is a member of the group, claimed the source.  

Edited by Yasmine Mosimann

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