Turkey used to be a major partner and ally but under the AK party it has been increasingly uncooperative and it has lead to increasing divisions between Washington and Ankara. I have said before that this will cause diplomatic isolation for Turkey for being uncooperative and you see the results today. as they were passed over for position on the UN security table. (Spain and New Zealand got the spots)
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As an American veteran I can tell you that we are deeply vested in Iraq and the Kurds in particular have always been a loyal ally.
We will not throw 'Turkey" under the bus but after 3 years of allowing them to direct the FSA and allowing them political control of the "recognized" opposition in Syria it has gotten out of hand. Obama recently mocked the FSA and started bypassing the Turkish backed leadership and supplying and communicating with units on our own. Under Turkish guidance the Kurds in Syria were shunned and left out of the main voice for unifying the opposition in Syria. They were not present in 2011-2012 for the summits in Turkey and the one they went to in Cairo was a disaster because the Turkish backed speaker openly mocked the Kurds and when the Kurdish speaker went to speak back it lead to a fist fight!
As of today the US State Department confirmed that this weekend they have had direct talks with the PYD the main Syrian Kurdish political alliance... you may have heard of the YPG-YPJ fighters in Kobane in the news. The Turks HATE the PYD because they think of them as the Syrian version of PKK.
This is significant because this week Obama said he is looking for "moderate" rebels to back. When your choices are the failed Turkish lead FSA that was backed by the UK&USA or a long list of Islamic brigades that either work with al-nursa or ISIS who does that lave? Thats right the Syrian Kurds who today the US State Department held direct talks with and this week started direct military aid to the YPG. Check out
twitter for some great stuff on it.
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And guess what else happened today? The government of Iraqi Kurdistan the Kurdish regional Government held a meeting with the PYD to mend fences and unite in the face of ISIS attack. This is also significant because before the KRG did not support the Syrian Kurds unilateral decoration of autonomy. As all of this is happening today more and more comments are coming out.
The Kurdish Regional Government is now officially recognizing Rojava!
The parliament in South Kurdistan decided yesterday to develop relationships with the cantons of Rojava after a day-long debate. 79 deputies approved a motion calling on the Federal Kurdistan Government to improve links with the administrations in Rojava.
After a debate yesterday in the South Kurdistan parliament, a motion was passed calling for relationships to be developed with the cantons established in Cizire (Jazireh), Afrin and Kobanê.
The following articles are in the motion passed by parliament asking for the Federal Kurdistan administration to develop relations with the administrations in Rojava.
1-The Kurdistan Parliament supports the will of the people of Rojava and wants the Kurdistan Regional Government to develop formal relations with the administrations in Rojava.
2- The government should be in material solidarity with Rojava.
3- The relevant bodies should implement this decision.
4- There should be absolutely no action contrary to this decision.
5- This decision will come into force after it is officially published by the Kurdistan Regional Parliament.
IN SUMMARY BIG DEVELOPMENTS THIS WEEK: Good news for the Kurds in Syria and Iraq but very sad news coming out of Turkey
1. Direct communication between US Military and PYG fighters in Kobani (a snub to turkey)
2. State Department has direct talks with PYD for the first time (a snub to Turkey)
3. Iraqi and Syrian Kurds work out differences in attempt to stand unified in the face of ISIS (I think this is the magical moderate opposition Obama has been looking for to train and supply)
4. Turkey fails in its bid to get a seat on the UN Security Council (Spain and New Zealand got the spots)