Barzani Rejected Syrian President’s Invite

Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani. Photo Rudaw.

In an interview with Rudaw, chief of staff of Kurdistan Region President Fuad Hussein said Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani declined an invitation from Bashar al-Assad to visit Syria.

“It’s true that an invitation was sent. But the president didn’t make the visit because neither the situation in Syria nor the regional conditions are conducive for that visit,” Hussein said.

In order to curb the unrest that broke out in mid-March, Assad invited many Syrian groups that had been critical of the regime, including Kurds, for talks. Most declined.

According to Hussein, the Syrian president sent the official invitation to Barzani at the outset of the unrest in Syria.

“It was just at the beginning of the events (uprising) in Syria. But we said that the situation in the region wasn’t appropriate for the visit,” he said.

This invitation was the first time that Syria recognized Barzani as the Kurdistan Region president instead of head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

Some observers in Kurdistan and internationally criticized the Kurdistan Regional Government for remaining silent about the situation of the Kurds in Syria. Hussein said Kurdish leaders have been in touch with Syrian Kurdish parties.

“Let me say that the Kurdistan Region has played a major role in meetings and talks with the Kurdish political leaders in Syria. We aren’t far from the events unfolding there, and we follow it hour by hour,” he said.

Hussein said the current situation in Syria calls for more attention from the Kurds of Iraq.

“The Kurdistan Region’s citizens and the political leadership have supported the rights of the Kurdish people wherever they are, and especially under the current circumstances in Syria,” he said.

Syrian Kurdish parties have not been united on whether to participate in protests or join the opposition, and have not created a clear agenda. Hussein, however, believes the situation will change.

“It will become clear soon. It’s true that there are many Kurdish parties in Syria, but they have an umbrella group of 10 groups and they will soon hold their conference,” he said.

Hussein dismissed speculation that Iraq’s Kurdish authority may have put pressure on Syria’s Kurds to unite.

“We aren’t applying pressure; we’re just exchanging views with them,” he said. “We consider it our duty as Kurds to assist and support them. We even told them not to repeat our mistakes. They are seriously assessing their own situation and have set a strategy,” he said.

Since the beginning of anti-government demonstrations in Syria, the Kurds have largely stayed away from joining the protests. Syrian Kurdish leaders argue that a Kurdish uprising will bring bloodshed and destruction to the Kurdish areas.

Hussein believes that the Kurdish position has finally gained international attention.

“As far as I know, everybody, on the regional and international levels, is very pleased with the positions and behavior of the Kurds. The Kurds’ weight in Syria has become clear and people take it into consideration. The unity of Kurds in Syria is very important and the stronger it is the more they can achieve.” he said.