Iraq News Now

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Twenty-seven Kurdish parties close to the ruling Movement for a Democratic Society (TEV-DEM) convened in Qamishli, vowing to forge a Kurdish bloc which could be used as a “point of reference.” However, an opposition group of parties, known as Kurdish National Council (ENKS), say they were not invited.

“In this meeting, we want to form an umbrella and the meetings will continue but the name of the umbrella has not been disclosed,” Ghareeb Hasso, the co-chair of TEV-DEM, told Rudaw on Monday.

He added that talks between Kurdish parties are normal and can always take place, “but such meetings are [especially] necessary at this time because terrorism is coming to an end [and as we are] having a great military achievement, we can also reach a political achievement together.”

Ghareeb Hasso, the co-chair of TEV-DEM, speaks to Rudaw in Qamishli, Syria, on March 11, 2019. 

Hasso claimed that all Kurdish parties were invited for the meeting, but some like the ENKS, which say they were not invited, say they would refuse on principle.

“We were not invited for the meeting possibly because we are at odds with them,” Jadan Ali, the head of the ENKS office in the Kurdistan Region, told Rudaw English late on Tuesday.

Ali claimed that the ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) has pre-conditions for meetings such as “the negotiations have to go as they desire.” Jadan Ali, the head of the ENKS office in Erbil, Kurdistan Region, speaks at Rudaw on January 5, 2019.

“This is not [about] the unity of Kurds. The Kurdish unity will come true once we have one shared position based on Kurdish demands and Kurdish trump card in Syria,” he added.

The PYD’s armed wing, the Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG), are the dominate ground force in northern Syria.

ENKS will not go to such meetings even if they are invited because “our prisoners have to be released and the [political] climate shall be improved prior to meetings," the head of ENKS stressed.

Both political groups have played a blame game for years. Efforts by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which is the ruling party in Kurdistan Region of Iraq and supports the ENKS, have failed in bringing both groups from Syria together.

KDP Leader Masoud Barzani announced an initiative in October 2014 which resulted in an agreement between both groups in Duhok. However, the deal stayed only in ink.

Monday’s meeting was initiated by Kurdish National Congress (KNK).

Based on KNK’s call, Rojava administration decided to lift a ban on rival Kurdish parties in January but Jadan Ali claims that this decision has not been implemented, adding that they have no official offices in Rojava, areas controlled by Kurds in northern Syria.

The parties affiliated with the ENKS usually convene in their officials’ homes because they are not allowed to open offices, and the landlords have been warned by the PYD not to allow their buildings to be used by the ENKS, Ali claimed.

The Rojava officials have accused the ENKS of “treason,” claiming it is part of the Syrian opposition backed by Turkey. The rival’s comments about the fate of Rojava have not been welcomed by the Rojava administration.

The ENKS has good relations with Turkey while the TEV-DEM considers it as a foe, following the occupation of Afrin by Turkish forces and its Syrian proxies in early-2018.

KNK has held many congresses in Rojava and Europe which were attended by a large number of parties and political figures but have been boycotted by the ENKS and KDP.

The YPG form the backbone of the partnered ground forces of the US-led international coalition that is battling ISIS in its final bastion of Baghouz, east of the Euphrates.