Turkey’s leadership has stepped up calls to exclude the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD), viewed in Ankara as an offshoot of the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) based in southeastern Turkey, in much-anticipated talks this week. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was the latest to support Kurdish involvement in the dialogue, saying earlier on Tuesday that the intra-Syrian talks would bring no results without their participation.
"Kurds have been important in holding back the forces of ISIS [Islamic State jihadist group] in Syria and in promoting democratic politics there. They are part of the solution to the tragic situation for Syria’s people and should be represented at discussions on the future of the country," Jean Lambert said.
The UN Security Council resolution, adopted in December, reaffirms the goals of the Vienna agreements to bring the entire spectrum of political groups in Syria to the negotiating table.
UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, who scheduled the much-anticipated talks between Syrian government and opposition delegates to be held on Friday in Geneva, began issuing official invitations earlier in the day.
Qadri Jamil, one of the leaders of the Syrian Popular Front for Change and Liberation coalition confirmed to Sputnik he had received the invitation. Jamil said PYD chair Salih Muslim Muhammad was included in the list of moderate opposition members, but could not confirm whether he had received de Mistura’s invitation.
