May 16-2014
Some Kurdish rebels who have long fought militarily against Iran called a news conference to urge a dialogue with Tehran.
Men who said they were from the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PEJAK) held a news conference in the village of Khoran in a mountainous area of northern Iraq, where PEJAK has bases, to announce the formation of a new group dedicated to dialogue.
They dubbed it the “Organization of Free and Democratic Society for East Kurdistan,” and used the Kurdish initials KODAR.
“We will try to address the problems with Tehran on the path of dialogue,” the new group’s leader, Rizan Javid, told Agence France Presse (AFP). “This does not mean that we have begun dialogue with Iran, but this is our hope,” he said.
“We direct a call to the Republic of Iran to enter into dialogue, and we are ready for dialogue,” Javid said, adding that previous calls for talks had gone unanswered.
Most members of KODAR have fought for PEJAK, he said, adding the other members of PEJAK will announce their positions on joining the new group in the coming days.
