Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has raised objections to the participation of Syrian Kurdish group the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syria peace talks.
Wednesday’s newspapers reported Davutoğlu, who paid a visit to the UK on January 18 and 19, as saying that the PYD represented a “direct threat to Turkey” and cannot attend the peace talks in Syria, originally planned to be held on January 25.
Arbil-based BasNews reported on Monday that officials from the Syrian government and the PYD met in Kamışlı province in northern Iraq. According to the report, the Syrian regime was in favour of the PYD’s participation in the UN-brokered peace talks and discussed the issue with Kurdish officials.
Turkey considers the PYD a terrorist organization which has links to the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The PYD, however, recently emerged as a leading force in the fight against the terrorist Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and is not considered a terrorist organization by major countries such as the US.
Turkey also differs with countries such as Russia and Iran in their stance over the future of embattled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
Davutoğlu reiterated Turkey’s opposition to Assad, saying that he should go “as early as possible, because Syrians do not want to see him in that post.”
The UN said on Monday it would not issue invitations to peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition groups until major countries behind the peace process reach an agreement on which rebel representatives should attend. The countries driving the diplomatic initiative on Syria include the US, Russia and other European and Middle Eastern powers, such as rival countries Saudi Arabia and Iran.
According to UN diplomats, it is increasingly likely that UN brokered talks between Syria’s government and opposition groups will be delayed.
The process aims at establishing a transitional government and eventual elections in Syria.
IMAGE: 613_turkey
CAPTION: Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoğlu
