Salih Muslim, Former PYD Leader, Passed Away in Erbil

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Salih Muslim, the former leader of the Democratic Union Party (better known as PYD) and a prominent political figure in Western Kurdistan (northeastern Syria), passed away on Wednesday in Erbil.

Salih Muslim had heart and kidney disease and underwent surgery at a hospital in Erbil.

Muslim was born in a village near Kobani in 1951 to a Kurdish family. After completing his education in Syria, he studied chemical engineering at Istanbul Technical University from 1970 until his graduation in 1977.

He became the co-chairman of the PYD in 2010, alongside Asya Abdullah. Under his leadership, the party established the de facto autonomous region known as Rojava during the Syrian Civil War.

He served as the most visible representative of Syrian Kurds on the international stage throughout much of the conflict, engaging in discussions with various global powers, including Turkey (until 2015) and the US-led coalition.