Kurdish conference to gather in ‘August’

ARBIL - Anadolu Agency

The meeting in the northern city of Arbil was convened last week to discuss the date and participants of the planned Kurdish conference. AA photo

A planned Kurdish National Conference that will gather Kurds from Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria is likely to take place between Aug. 20 and 30, a lawmaker from the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) said yesterday.

Bitlis lawmaker Hüsamettin Zenderlioğlu has been elected to be on the committee that was established during a meeting in Arbil to decide on the technical details. “From now on, Kurds do not have the will or aim to establish a state,” Zenderlioğlu said. “Up to now we have made four meetings and these meetings will continue periodically. The conference will most probably take place between Aug. 20 and 30,” he said, adding that up to 500 delegates would attend the conference in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil.

Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani has described the meeting as “historic.”

“Our main goal in holding this congress is for all Kurdish political factions to reach a shared strategy and voice,” Barzani said in a speech.