In response to a Kurdpress question about US President Joe Biden and Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit and its impact on the situation of the Kurds in the region, the Kurdish lawyer and politician Sedqi Zilan stated that: "After [former US President Donald] Trump left the White House, both the US and Turkey policy witnessed changes. Turkey has no influence on the US policy, but it is the US that influences Turkey."

"We do not know what was discussed in these talks between the two sides, but it is clear that the Kurds in Iraq have a legal status in the Iraqi constitution and are recognized by the United States and the entire European Union and all countries of the world as a federal part of Iraq. Even Iran and Turkey have relations with it. Also each of the Kurdish parties [ruling parties in the Kurdistan Region] is somehow close to one of the two countries of Iran and Turkey. The power of the Kurds is not equal to that of the the countries in the region and the position of the Kurds will be in danger if the US and France do not back the region," the lawyer stated.

He continued to say that: "Although the Kurds voted in favor of independence in the referendum [the independence referendum of the Kurdistan Region in 2017], the countries of the region do not want the issue of Article 140 about the Kurdish disputed areas to be put into action and the region be annexed to the Kurdistan Region. On the other hand, both Iran and Turkey have influences in Iraq and Syria. Iran is close to the central government and Hash al-Shaabi forces [in Iraq] and is pursuing its policies, and Turkey has occupied parts of Syria and Ankara is seeking to occupy parts of Iraqi Kurdistan, under the pretext of war against the PKK, and has deployed thousands of troops to Iraq.

He added: "It is true that in Syria, the central government handed over the northern regions of Syria to the Democratic Union Party (PYD) at the beginning of the war, but neither Syria nor Turkey nor Iran want a Kurdish existence in Syrian Kurdistan as the one in the Kurdistan Region. 2013 was an important year for the Kurds in Syria; as after al-Qaeda and ISIS invaded northern Syria, the International Coalition entered the region while Turkey did not join the coalition. The Kurds and international forces became partners in the war to defeat terrorism and the cooperation paved the way for the presence of the international coalition in northern Syria.

The Kurdish lawyer and politician further told Kurdpress: "Turkey does not accept the existence of Kurds in northern Syria and considers the YPG [Peoples Defense Units] to be a branch of the PKK and is trying to eliminate this political situation, which is seen in the attack on Afrin and Gri Spi and Serikani. Today, Turkey has changed the demography of Afrin and the 90% Kurdish population of the city has lessened to 40%, and it [Turkey] wants to deny the existence of Kurds in Afrin."

"A new constitution is needed to be written for Syria and the rights of the Kurds in Syria should be officially recognized. Today, the powerful force that has power in Syrian Kurdistan is not present in the constitution negotiations, and there is a group there that does not have much power," Mr. Zilan said, adding that "The United States also wants to somehow protect the rights of the Kurds in Syria in the future, and wants other Kurdish groups to join the PYD so that the Kurds can be included in the Syrian developments."

Sedqi Zilan added: "The United States and the European Union want democracy to prevail in Syria according to their own standards, and their efforts are to form a democratic government in the future order of Syria in which different groups play a role. Today the Kurds play an important role in the region and Turkey cannot ignore the Kurds and has to accept their existence."

Reporter's code: 50101