Turkish deputy PM calls on Kurdish groups not to side with al-Assad

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

All we ask of the formation there [Kurds in the north] is that they do not cooperate with al-Assad, Arınç said. DHA Photo

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç has called on the Kurdish groups in Syria not to side with the al-Assad regime and urged them to support the opposition.Arınç said the Syrian regime intended to exploit the Kurds and other groups in the northern region, and use them as a trump card against Turkey. “When al-Assad goes, and a democratic regime is established with a Parliament and elections, then everyone will be represented equally,” Arınç told state-run broadcaster TRT on July 29.“All we ask of the formation there [Kurds in the north] is that they do not cooperate with al-Assad. Become a part of the opposition and do not attempt to take control by fait accompli,” he added.“Your presence and equal citizenship rights will definitely be recognized in a Constitution to be formed after al-Assad. If you side with the opposition, you can avoid sharing the sins of the regime,” he said.Turkish officials held meetings last week with the visiting leader of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), Saleh Muslim, and they expressed strong concerns about the “fait accompli” imposition of a de facto autonomous Kurdish region in the north of Syria.