In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the SI welcomes the resumption of the dialogue between the federal government and the Kurdish Regional Government. We call upon the new government of Iraq and all the political parties to make arrangements, which reflect a true participation of the Kurds in the new government based on partnership, consensus and balance in the important federal institutions. We call upon both governments in Baghdad and Erbil to stabilise the situation in the disputed territories and allow a joint administration in order to prevent ISIS and similar groups from exploiting the post-referendum tensions in these areas for their own advantage and to protect the rights of the Kurdish people and other ethnic and religious minorities in the region.
The Syrian war, which lasted for many years and now reaches its end, has failed to resolve the Syrian crisis. It only brought destruction and death. All those years of war that went by have proved that only a political solution can lead to a way out of the Syrian crisis. It is, thus, time for all Syrians to sit on the negotiating table, under the coordination of the UN, in search of a political-democratic solution for the country. The region of Rojava / North-Eastern Syria has proven to be a safe zone. It has managed to create a model of governance based on self-government, peoples' coexistence and democracy and can be a model for the whole of Syria. The peoples of Rojava / North-Eastern Syria have given much to the fight against terrorism, especially against the terrorism of ISIS.
We in the Socialist International recognise the threat that the withdrawal of coalition forces headed by the United States can create. Any sudden or precipitated withdrawal can result in the creation of a political and military crisis in the region that could lead to the resurgence of terrorism and result in another serious refugee crisis.
The Socialist International supports a fair solution for the Kurdish people, so as to guarantee the unity and sovereignty of Syria, within the framework of decentralized governance, according to the model of democratic federalism, within the framework of a new constitution.
In line with the commitment of the SI to the cause of the Kurdish people, a meeting of the SI Committee on the Kurdish Question will be held in the near future in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
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