"We are not a small people; 15% of the population are Kurds. As you know, we can protect ourselves even from the regime and extremists. So we have to have a word in the solution. If they ignore the Kurds, they will not find a way to solve the Syrian problem. … Because the coalition [i.e. the Syrian National Coalition] doesn't recognize the Kurds, they cannot represent the Kurds [in the Geneva peace talks], only the coalition."