Syrian Politicians Talk With Kurds About Self-Governance For Northeastern Syria - Lawmaker

DAMASCUS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th December, 2019) Representatives of the Syrian political parties have offered their Kurdish counterparts to set up self-government of the country's northeastern part, Nauaf Mulhim, a Syrian lawmaker and the secretary general of one of the political parties said on Sunday.

The meeting took place on Saturday in the city of Qamishli near the Syria-Turkey border, according to the lawmaker. The Kurdish side was represented by members of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the Syriac Union Party, and others. The talks were preceded by several coordination meetings.

"We have agreed to discuss positive moments, whether in [a format of] an autonomous administration or in a regime of local self-governance. Then we will have an agreed-upon document, which will be presented to the Syrian government," Mulhim told Syrian al-Watan newspaper.

He claimed that the Kurdish side was ready to discuss the initiative and have a meeting with the Syrian authorities.

The northeastern territory of Syria maintains de-facto independence from the government in Damascus, being controlled by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, also known as Rojava, without official approval by the Syrian government.

In October, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the start of Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria against Kurdish groups and the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia). Ankara views the Syrian Kurds as allies of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, designated by Turkey as a terrorist organization. The government of Syrian President Bashar Assad has tried to form a united front with Kurdish groups against Turkey without much to show for it so far.