Today and tomorrow representatives of Kurdish parties in Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria are coming together at an international conference organized by Ankara-based International Middle East Peace Research Center (IMPR).

The conference is titled “Kurds Discussing Peace, Democracy and Solution Models” and will host among others speakers such as Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Co-chairperson Selahattin Demirtaş, Democratic Union Party (PYD) Co-chair Asya Abdullah, and Mazhar Bağlı, a member of the Central Decision and Administration Board (MKYK) of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

Some in the media considered the conference as a preparation meeting for the major Kurdish conference to discuss the future of the region's Kurds to be held in Arbil, the capital of the northern Iraqi government. The conference in Arbil has been postponed three times for various reasons, and is expected to bring together major Kurdish political groups in the Middle East.

Speaking at the conference, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (YNK) Spokesman Azad Jundiyani said the conference witnessed participation by different political parties from four parts of Kurdistan and said the PKK's (Kurdistan Workers' Party) absence in the conference was a worrisome deficiency.