Kurds in the Middle East

By Vestnik Kavkaza

This week, the Russian Presidential Envoy on the Middle East, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, met representatives of the Syrian Kurds in Geneva.

Meanwhile, in Istanbul the Kurds organized a demonstration,“Fighting Rozhava, Istanbul Supports You.” The Voice of Russia reports that the topic of Rozhava takes a leading role in speeches by leaders of pro-Kurdish Party of Peace and Democracy in the parliament, as the Turkish government’s behavior toward the Syrian Kurds is directly associated with the processes over local Turkish Kurds. For several months Turkey has experienced a process of peaceful settlement of the Kurdish problem on conditions that separatists from the PKK lay down arms and the government gives extra rights and freedoms to the Turkish Kurds.

Moreover, it is discussed that the Kurds could be an impact factor in the subregional arena. However, one of main obstacles on this path might be the Syrian Kurds who have no internal consent. Disputes between them and different views on Kurdish problems are explained by striving of regional politicians for all-Kurdish leadership and various power centers in the Kurdish movement which covers the territory at the joint of Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Iraq.

“Representatives of Kurdish movements and parties in Syria should present a joint delegation in negotiations on peaceful settlement in the country; attempts to act independently won’t be successful,” Hemin Havrami, Director of the Foreign Affairs Department in Democratic Party of Kurdistan, stated. Commenting on attempts to compose an independent Kurdish government in the north of the country by some Kurdish organizations, Havrami said: “A united position of Kurdish parties is necessary.”  According to him there are supporters of the government and the opposition among the Kurds, and “the Kurds must not shoot at each other.”

“We believe that negotiations with the central Syrian government should be conducted with participation of all Kurdish organizations, for it should be a solid Kurdish decision on joining or rejecting the Syrian opposition and participation in the conference of Geneva-2. Such decisions should be made by the association of Kurds, which was founded. Any talks between Kurdistan and Turkey, between Kurdistan and Russia, between Kurdistan and Syria should be conducted in the interests of the solid Kurdish position." Hemin Havrami said.

According to him, rapprochement between Kurdistan and Turkey is beneficial for Iraq because it contributes to a development of relations between Turkey and Iraq. $12 billion is the trade There are more than 20 million Kurds in Turkey. And the number includes not only members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. “20 years ago recognition of Kurds’ struggle in turkey was considered by Ankara as treason. And there were thousand political Kurdish prisoners and they couldn’t even speak the Kurdish language. But the position of the Turkish authorities has changed in 20 years. Today the Kurdish problem cannot be settled by military means, so democracy, parliamentary competition, political rivalry, diplomacy opportunities should be used. And we should use opportunities which are available in Turkey. Barzani’s policy confirmed that we in Kurdistan try to simplify a direct dialogue between the Turkish government and the Kurdish organizations which fight for their goals. We achieved ceasing fire and starting a peacemaking process, a dialogue with Turkey. At the moment we have a peacemaking initiative on settlement of several Kurdish problems. We believe that it is necessary to support these initiatives. And if we achieve this, it will be real breakthrough,” Hemin Havrami hopes.