Turkey – Neighbouring Turkey has received PYD co-chair Salih Muslim for talks in 2013[34] and in 2014,[35] even entertaining the idea of opening a representation office for the autonomous region in Ankara "if it's suitable with Ankara's policies."[36] Nonwithstanding, Turkey is persistently hostile, because it feels threatened by the autonomous region's emergence encouraging activism for autonomy among Kurds in Turkey and the Kurdish–Turkish conflict, and in this context in particular the autonomous region's leading Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the YPG militia being members of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) network of organisations, which also includes both political and militant assertively Kurdish organizations in Turkey itself, including the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Turkey's policy towards the autonomous region is based on an economic blockade,[37] persistent attempts of international isolation,[38] opposition to the cooperation of the international Anti-ISIL-coalition with the militias of the autonomous region,[39] and support of Islamist Syrian Civil War parties hostile towards the autonomous region,[40][41] in past times even including ISIL.[42][43][44] Turkey has on several occasions also been militarily attacking the territory of the autonomous region and defence forces.[45][46][47] The latter has resulted in some of the most clearcut instances of international solidarity with the autonomous region.[15][48][49][50] In the perception of much of the Turkish public, the federal project of the autonomous region as well as U.S. support for the YPG against ISIL are elements of a wider conspiracy scheme by a "mastermind" with the aim to weaken or even dismember Turkey, in order to prevent its imminent rise as a global power.[51] Opposition leader Selahattin Demirtas has argued for Turkey and other countries to recognize the autonomous region and work with it as a partner.[52][53] United Kingdom – In January 2015, a British Parliament committee asked the government of Prime Minister David Cameron to explain and justify its policy of not working with the autonomous region's military in combating ISIL.[54] In July 2015, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office formally declared that "the UK has engaged with Saleh Muslim, co-leader of the Democratic Union Party (PYD)".[55] Since then, United Kingdom Special Forces are supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces in operations.[56] Democratic Union Party (PYD) co-chairperson Salih Muslim was invited to speak in the British Parliament Parliament in 2015 and in 2016.[57][58]