February 10,

2014











The PYD’s declared autonomy has received no Western backing, largely due to its links with the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist group both by the European Union and the United States.



PYD leaders, in turn, accuse most Kurdish and Arab opposition parties of being tools of neighboring countries and implementing foreign agendas in Syria.



Mustafa’s comments came just two days after a conference in Sulêmanî, in which several Kurdish political parties expressed their official support for the PYD's declared autonomy.



The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the Change Movement (Gorran) and the Kurdistan Islamic Union (Yekgirtu) www.Ekurd.net have expressed official support for the PYD government.



Mustafa called on political parties in Kurdistan not to politicize the issue.



“It’s not necessary for some parties to make a political bid out of this and the KRG is committed to its position,” he said.



Divisions over the issue are likely to become more complex once political parties end their current negotiations on forming the Kurdistan Region’s new cabinet, which will place the KDP side-by-side with some of the parties that stand behind the PYD.



However, political differences over major issues within the KRG are nothing new.



The KDP and PKK each believes it should have the upper hand in Syria’s Kurdish regions. Each has tried to have the greater influence among the country’s Kurds, who make up about 10 percent of Syria’s 22 million population.



Defending the autonomous cantons, senior PYD leader Asia Abdulla told Rudaw: “This is the project of the people. Everyone has the right to establish a democratic entity for their people in their country, no matter what others think.”



“The project of democratic autonomy is a democratic process,” she added. “Historically it has been a successful path.”



Abdullah said that the autonomous cantons are based on the needs of the people, and that the views of towns, villages and municipalities are seriously considered in the administrations.



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