Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, February 24, 2019. Photo: AFP
SHARM EL-SHEIKH,— Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said on Tuesday at the open meeting with young people on the sidelines of the final day of the World Youth Forum in Sharm El-Sheikh that the Kurdish identity cannot be eliminated.
Speaking about the Kurds, he said that “Kurdish identity cannot be eliminated, stressing that the Kurdish people have faced hardships over the past 60 years” Sisi said in response to a question posed by a young Kurdish woman.
Sisi added that discrimination had occurred against the Kurds in some countries, including Iran and Turkey.
The Kurds have their own language and culture, which cannot be denied, Sisi said.
Sisi made the remark at the Third World Youth Forum in Sharm El-Sheikh. 8,000 youths are participating across the world, according to local media.
Conflict resolution should not be brought about by military action, said, stressing the necessity of development to achieve stability.
“More development lowers chances of conflict outbreaks,” he said, adding that the African Union Peace and Security Council is the party concerned with existing conflicts in the continent.
He said that Egypt had a role in de-escalating the situation in South Sudan, affirming that Sahel and Saharan states cannot be left unsupported.
He also said that terrorism as a notion was created so “countries would kill themselves and no one would succeed.”
“Terrorism in Egypt has existed for 60 years, and has been trying to obstruct Egypt’s progress. This plot [terrorism] is incapable of success,” he said.
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