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PYD Kurdish Party Blames Turkish Pressure for Geneva Talks Snub

© REUTERS / Denis Balibouse/FilesThe delegation of the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) and U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura are seen at the start of a meeting during Syria peace talks at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, in this March 17, 2016 file photo
The delegation of the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) and U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura are seen at the start of a meeting during Syria peace talks at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, in this March 17, 2016 file photo - Sputnik International
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Countries that block Syrian Kurds participation in Geneva peace talks do so because of the pressure exerted by Turkey, the co-chair of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), told Sputnik on Wednesday.

Members of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) monitor the positions of Islamic State (IS) group in the Syrian town of Ras al-Ain, close to the Turkish border on March 13, 2015 - Sputnik International
Absence of Kurds in Peace Talks Contradicts UNSC Resolution - Russian Envoy
MOSCOW (Sputnik), Svetlana Alexandrova On Tuesday, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said that Russia’s proposal to include Kurds in Geneva Syrian talks was vetoed by the UN Security Council’s Western members as well as by non-permanent Council member Ukraine.

“All countries who oppose joining Kurds have their interests with Turkey and are under its pressure. Kurds are not enemies to Turkish people,” Saleh Muslim said adding that the ruling Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP)  and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "should give up Kurdophobia for the good of nations.”

Muslim welcomed the Russian initiative to invite Kurds to the Geneva talks stressing that “negotiations will not be fruitful if Kurds excluded.” He added that at the moment there was no such invitation.

The previous round of Syrian talks wrapped up on March 24 after ten days of intense discussions. The round ended in delegates submitting their proposals on how to stop the conflict to UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura who then produced a final paper with points of convergence. The talks are expected to resume on April 11.

Turkey has strongly opposed the inclusion of the PYD in the reconciliation talks. Turkish President Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu repeatedly stated that Turkey makes "no distinction" between the PYD and the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is outlawed in Turkey.

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