Syrian Kurdish YPG says not bound by outcome of Astana peace talks

The Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Unit (YPG), which is the military wing of the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD), said on Jan. 23 that it would not be bound by any decision that emerges from the Syria talks in Kazakhstan as it was not involved in the meetings.


Indirect talks between representatives of the Syrian government and rebel groups began on Jan. 23 in the Kazakh capital of Astana under the sponsorship of Russia, Turkey and Iran.

The talks are the first to bring government and opposition delegations together since U.N.-brokered negotiations in Geneva were suspended last year. But the YPG and PYD were not invited.

“As we are not participating in these talks, we stress that we are not bound by any decisions issued from the Astana conference,” the YPG said in a statement, Reuters reported.

“We, in the People’s Protection Units [YPG], believe the entities that are participating and that have sponsored these talks are part of the problem in Syria in the first place,” it said.
  [hurriyetdailynews.com]
24/1/17
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