According to Izvestia, the chairman of the Hmeimim Group delegation suggested to the Democratic Union Party (PYD) including party representatives on the delegation for the Geneva negotiations.
According to the newspaper story,
To accompany its delegation at the Geneva negotiations, the opposition Hmeimim Group has asked Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) officials. Head of the Hmeimim Group Eliane Massad said as much. Should Staffan de Mistura, the Special Representative of UN Secretary-General, object, the Hmeimim Group will withdraw from the conversation.
“I asked Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about Kurdish involvement in the negotiations at a meeting on June 16. With a united delegation, I indicated my readiness to take part in the negotiations; Lavrov agreed. Attending the conference also was Khaled Issa, a spokesman for the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), who insisted on the Kurds forming a distinct delegation. Now I would want to restate my stance: I urge Democratic Union Party (PYD) officials, particularly Salih Muslim, leader, to take part in the negotiations under a unified delegation. Should de Mistura reject this alternative, we will cease taking part in the negotiations.
It goes without saying that one of the primary sources of conflict between the parties still is Kurdish participation in negotiations to fix the Syrian situation. Russia insists on having Kurdish people’s representatives present for the negotiations. Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister, acknowledged this on August 27 during his meeting with John Kerry, his US counterpart.
At the time, Lavrov remarked: “I am certain that the Kurds must have full representation in these negotiations. The Kurds have to stay a part of the Syrian government and help to solve the situation; they shouldn’t be a force separating Syria since this will generate a domino effect over the country.”
In March Lavrov said that Türkiye forbade Kurdish involvement in the settlement process. On the other hand, the other members of the International Syria Support Group have all underlined early on the need of Kurdish involvement.
Turkey’s stance seems to be unaltered. As Ankara announced, the military operation it started on August 24 in the northern Syrian city of Jarabulus is to fight ISIS and the Kurds. This more proof of Turkey’s bad attitude toward the Kurds.
Furthermore unaltered is the Democratic Union Party’s stance on taking part in the negotiations. Abdul Salam Ali, the party’s official in Russia, informed Izvestia that the Kurds are ready to travel to Geneva but only if a separate group represents them.
Notably, the last Geneva negotiation session ended last April, and a date for t