Baladi - Agencies
The political wing of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) went to Damascus last week for a second round of talks with the government, its co-chair said on Tuesday, Reuters news agency reported.
A delegation including members of the U.S.-backed SDF, which controls roughly a quarter of Syria, held talks with Damascus this month in their first declared visit to the capital.
The visits highlight efforts by the Kurdish-led authorities to open new channels to Assad’s government, as they seek to negotiate a political deal that keeps their autonomy within Syria, according to Reuters.
Negotiations could also raise new questions for U.S. policy in Syria, where the U.S. military has deployed into SDF territory during the battle against Islamic State.
The SDF is spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG militia, which has mostly avoided conflict with Assad and has said it aimed to secure Kurdish rights rather than topple the government.
The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) went for new talks on decentralization and the constitution, Reuters cited co-chair Riad Darar as saying on Tuesday.
The “long dialogue” included a proposal from Damascus for the de facto autonomous region to take part in the state’s local elections next month, he told Reuters.