President of the autonomous government of South Kurdistan (Iraq's north) Massoud Barzani has rejected the announcement made Tuesday by the Democratic Union Party (PYD, Kurdish acronym) on the unilateral proclamation of self-government of Western Kurdistan (Syria's north). According to on-line newspaper Rudaw, Barzani has accused PYD of being an "autocratic" party and of marginalizing the Kurdish National Council (KNC), the coalition of Kurdish parties in Syria, with the exception of PYD. According to Barzani, no step should be taken without "consensus of all Kurdish parties" in Western Kurdistan.

Barzani is KNC's main sponsor and has good economic relations with Turkey, a country that is totally opposed to the establishment of a self-governing Western Kurdistan.

On the other hand, PYD is linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK, Kurdish acronym), which maintains an armed conflict with Turkey since the late 1970s.

For more information:

• Follow-up on Nationalia: PYD announces establishment of Western Kurdistan autonomy with legislative and executive powers