U.N. has invited Syria's warring sides to Geneva peace talks

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Source: Reuters

13 minutes ago

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations has invited Syria's government and opposition to peace talks set to start in Geneva on Friday, a U.N. statement said on Tuesday, without giving any details of who had been invited, or how many groups might participate.

"The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, has addressed invitations to the Syrian participants today, 26 January 2016, in accordance with the parameters outlined in Security Council resolution 2254 (2015)," the statement said.

"The intra-Syrian talks will start as of 29 January 2016 in Geneva."


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/u-n-invited-syrias-warring-sides-geneva-peace-143600569.html

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1. Turkey PM 'categorically against' Kurdish PYD joining Syria talks

Turkey PM 'categorically against' Kurdish PYD joining Syria talks

Ankara (AFP) - Turkey on Tuesday said it strongly opposed the Syrian Kurdish group Democratic Union Party (PYD) taking part in UN-backed talks planned for later this week seeking a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

"We are categorically against the YPG and PYD, who oppress the Kurds, sitting at the table," Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told ruling party lawmakers in parliament.

Turkey considers the PYD and its military wing the People's Protection Units (YPG) to be offshoots of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which wages an armed insurgency against Ankara.

Davutoglu said he was not against Syrian Kurdish representatives joining the talks, deeming their presence at the table as a "necessity". But he did not specify which other Syrian Kurdish groups he would like to see involved at Friday's meeting.

http://news.yahoo.com/turkey-categorically-against-kurdish-pyd-joining-syria-talks-110022626.html