Turkey issues arrest warrant for Syrian pro-Kurdish PYD leader

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Turkish authorities on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for the co-leader of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), accusing him of being involved in a February car bomb attack in Ankara, Turkish state-owned media said.

Turkish authorities issued an arrest warrant for Salih Muslim, the co-leader of the Syrian Kurdish PYD, as well as 47 other people regarding the February attack in Ankara that targeted a military bus.

The car bomb attack killed 30 people and injured 81 more. Following the attack, Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) claimed responsibility for the car bomb.

TAK splinted from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in 2004, declaring the “methods of struggle” of the PKK and the Kurdistan People’s Congress “too feeble.”

PYD is the political wing of People’s Protection Units (YPG) which is backed by the United States in the battle against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.

Turkey views PYD and YPG as an extension of the outlawed PKK, which has waged decades of insurgency against the Turkish government in the southeast of the country.

Moreover, the PKK is labeled a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union, and the United States.

At the beginning of November, Turkish anti-terror police units arrested 12 lawmakers of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), including its co-chairs Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag.

Following the failed military coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016, the Turkish government detained tens of thousands of officers, soldiers, teachers, and people, accusing them of being involved in the coup attempt.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany