A delegation from the Office of Foreign Relations of the Syrian Kurdish National Council (KNC) met with Middle East officials from the Turkish Foreign Ministry in the Turkish capital Ankara on Friday to discuss the status of the ceasefire and preparations for the upcoming Astana meeting.
A statement by the KNC’s Office of Foreign Relations said that a delegation met with Turkish Foreign Ministry Middle East officials to discuss points of interest to both parties. The KNC delegation included Kamiran Hajlo, head of the KNC’s foreign relations office as well as members Faisal Joseph, Suleiman Osso, and Kamiran Haj Abdo.
The statement said that the meeting discussed the ceasefire agreement which was announced on December 29, 2016 and preparations for the upcoming meeting to be held in the Kazakh capital Astana. The Astana meeting is expected to focus on ways to consolidate the ceasefire; end the bloodshed; lift the siege; and ensure access to humanitarian aid.
Members of the KNC Office stressed the importance of the participation of the Kurdish National Council in the Astana meeting as a representative of the Kurdish people in Syria as well as in all international meetings aimed at finding a political solution in Syria. They also stressed the importance of inviting the Syrian Peshmerga forces to the Astana meeting.
The Kurdish National Council delegation highlighted the suffering of the civilian population in Syria, stressing the need to facilitate the entry of the ill and wounded to Turkey for treatment.
The Turkish officials stressed the importance of promoting the historical and geographic ties between the Turkish and Syrian peoples, praising the good relations between the Kurdish National Council and Turkey. They reaffirmed support for the rights of the Kurdish people in Syria through agreement with between all Syrians. The officials also praised the distinguished relations between the Kurdish National Council and the Syrian opposition represented by the Syrian Coalition and stressed the importance of the participation of the Council in the Astana meeting. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Office)
