The leading Kurdish political movements in Syria have agreed to attend next month’s Geneva 2 conference under a united banner.
The agreement between the Syrian Kurdish People’s Council and Kurdistan National Council was announced on Tuesday in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Abdulsalam Ahmed, the co-leader of the People’s Council — affiliated with the Democratic Union Party (PYD) — and Tahir Sifuk, who heads the KNC, confirmed the agreement to go to Switzerland on January 22. They also announced a deal to reopen the Peshkhabur border crossing between Syrian Kurdistan and Iraqi Kurdistan for humanitarian aid and for trade and political delegations within 48 hours.
The two leaders declared that anyone who killed inthe Syrian civil war is a “martyr”, and that all political prisoners will be freed. An 11-person committee will investigate incidents in northern Syria where PYD fighters are accused of killing several people.
Ahmed and Sifuk said two key issues are still to be resolved: the PYD’s declaration of an autonomous Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) and reinstatement of the Kurdish Supreme Council.
Tuesday’s agreement followed days of discussions in Erbil, mediated by Iraqi Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani; the Mayor of Diyarkabir in Turkey; and a Turkish Kurdish MP.
One of the main barriers to agreement was the PYD’s insistence on sole responsibility for security, through its People’s Protection Units (YPG).
The KNC has proposed a united military force.
