Syrian Kurds don’t necessarily need a seat at peace talks table, US clarifies

Syrian Kurds don’t necessarily need a seat at peace talks table, US clarifies

By Rudaw [ltr]14 hours ago [/ltr]

YPG fighters in Syria. Photo: Delil Soulieman/AFP

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Syrian Kurds must have a voice in deciding the future of Syria, but this does not necessarily mean the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) should have a seat at the table for any peace talks as part of the political transition in the country, the US clarified on Thursday. 

Two days earlier, Mark Toner, deputy spokesperson for the Department of State had made statements that the Kurdish group should be included in talks regarding the future of Syria. 

"YPG is – YPD, rather – is a force on the ground, is a representative group, and their voice will need to be heard in any kind of long-term solution to the situation in Syria,” Toner said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

Speaking about Syrian peace talks, Toner said that the Kurdish group “is a force on the ground” and lamented that they were not a part of the vetted opposition.

Responding to Toner’s comments, Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak asked, “What business does a terror group have at the peace table?” according to Hurriyet Daily News. 

Turkey claims the PYD and the Kurdish armed People’s Protection Units (YPG) are extensions of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a named terrorist organization. 

Asked on Thursday to clarify his comments in light of Turkey’s deputy prime minister’s objections, Toner said the US has long called for a Syrian-owned political solution to the crisis. 

“UN Security Council Resolution 2254 says very clearly the Syrian people will decide the future of Syria. And we believe that all Syrians – and that speaks to Syrian Kurds, Syrian Arabs, Syrian Turkmen, all groups – will have to have a say in that process,” he said, but that does not mean having Kurds attend negotiations. 

“I wasn’t speaking about necessarily who would be at the table should there be follow-on discussions or should the negotiations in Geneva get back up and running. I was simply stating the fact that whatever comes out of this political process will need to be something that is accepted by all Syrians. All Syrians will have to have a voice in that.”

Russia and Turkey will be chairing a new round of talks, hosted by Kazakhstan, and expected to take place later this month. The US has not yet been invited to the talks, Toner confirmed.

He was also asked about reports of abuses carried out by the PYD, particularly against three members of the Kurdish National Council (ENKS) who were found burned to death after going missing. 

“Obviously, it goes without saying we’re concerned by those kinds of reports,” he said, adding that the US condemns any human rights abuses but that they did not have enough detail of who had carried out the attack to make any judgements yet.

“So we’re watching it closely, we’re obviously concerned by it, and, frankly, disgusted by it, but if we get more information, we’ll make a judgment.”