Syrian Kurdish groups were
holding talks in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region on Tuesday aimed at
patching up differences ahead of a peace conference planned for next month, an
official said.
Two main Syrian Kurdish groupings -- the People's Council of Western
Kurdistan (PCWK) and the Kurdish National Council (KNC) -- have been at odds
since the former announced a transitional autonomous administration for
Kurdish-majority areas of northeastern and northwestern Syria without the
latter's backing.
The dispute led to the closure of the border between Iraqi Kurdistan,
which backs the KNC, and Kurdish-controlled areas of northeastern Syria.
"The meetings of the Kurdish parties begin today, Tuesday, in
Arbil," the Iraqi Kurdish regional capital, Bahajat Bashir, a member of
the KNC, said.
"These meetings are for the sake of unifying the Kurdish house and
its political (position)... and preparing for the Geneva meeting, so the
Kurdish participation will be strong," Bashir said, referring to peace
talks that are now to take place in Montreux, Switzerland.
He added that the meetings also aim to improve relations between the
PCWK and the KNC.
Iraqi Kurdistan regional president Massud Barzani met with delegations
from the Syrian Kurdish groups on Monday, a statement on his website said.
During the meetings, he emphasised the importance of establishing a
unified Kurdish position ahead of the peace talks scheduled to begin on January
22, the statement said.
More than 126,000 people have been killed in the 33-month conflict
pitting forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad against rebels fighting to
topple his regime.
But Kurdish-majority areas of the country's northeast were relatively
quiet until clashes broke out this year between Kurd militia and jihadist
rebels, pushing tens of thousands of Syrian Kurds across the border into Iraqi
Kurdistan. Source Middle East Online
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