Kurdish-Led Syrian Democratic Forces Refuse to Support Astana Meeting Results

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) opposition group will not support the results of the meeting on Syria in Astana, as the SDF has not received an invitation to attend it, SDF spokesman Talal Selo said Wednesday.

CAIRO (Sputnik) — The SDF consists mainly of Kurdish and Arab detachments, and participated in operations against Daesh terrorist group with the support of the United States.

"Since we have been excluded from these negotiations, we do not recognize the conference or any of its results," Selo told Sputnik, adding that in his opinion, the Turkish authorities were the authors of the decision not to invite the SDF.

The Syrian peace consultations in Astana are expected to be held on January 23, with the opposition represented as a united bloc. The talks will be followed by a new round of negotiations on Syrian peace in Geneva on February 8.

On December 17, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed in a phone call the possibility of a meeting between the Syrian conflicting parties in Astana. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev supported the initiative and expressed readiness to provide a platform for such talks in the Kazakh capital.