Esra Kaymak
January 28, 2016•Update: January 29, 2016
By Esra Kaymak
WASHINGTON
The U.S. said Wednesday that the PKK's Syrian affiliate, PYD, is not expected to participate in Syria peace talks Friday in Geneva.
"The UN hasn't announced its list of invitees or those extended in an advisory role, but our understanding is that the PYD won't be participating in this week's talks," said State Department spokesman Mark Toner.
He said the U.S. stands by the Syrian High Negotiations Committee (HNC), its current composition and the decision by UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura to invite additional representatives to participate in this process.
"The exclusion of the PYD, at least in this initial round of talks, was a decision taken by de Mistura and his people, and it was partly a reflection of these meetings to define the Syrian opposition and basically, you know, choose who among the Syrian opposition would represent them going forward into these talks," he said.
"We respect that process."
As a member of the International Syria Support Group and a stakeholder in this process, Toner stressed that Turkey obviously had its "very real and almost existential concerns" about peace and stability in Syria as the ongoing crisis threatens Turkey directly on its border.
Turkey considers PYD as a terrorist group as it is the Syrian affiliate of PKK -- which is also designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU.
But the fact that the U.S. does not consider PYD a terrorist organization raised differences between Turkey and the U.S. during Syrian peace talks since last October.
Toner added that the Daesh-controlled 98-kilometer (60-mile) stretch of the Turkey-Syria border was a "persistent problem" and that the U.S. was absolutely convinced that Turkey understood "the magnitude of the problem".
Turkey is attempting to finish securing its southeastern border with Syria, which has been used by Daesh for smuggling oil and attracting foreign fighters.
"We're absolutely convinced that they want to stop that flow of foreign fighters; that they need to seal up their borders. It's a challenge and we're working with them," he said.
Toner also said that Syrian opposition groups should attend the talks in Geneva but "without preconditions".
The opposition had demanded prerequisites to attending the meetings, including a halt to attacks on civilian areas before any negotiations began.
"We believe it should seize this opportunity to test the regime's willingness and intentions, and expose before the entire world which parties are serious about a potential peaceful political transfer in Syria, and which are not," Toner said.
Toner's comments came after Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Tuesday that his country would not participate if the PYD were included in the peace talks.
