Former Syrian Kurdish Leader Arrested in Prague at Turkey’s Request

On Saturday, a statement was released by the Czech Republic police, announcing the detainment of a 67-year-old man, who is confirmed to be Salih Muslim, the former leader of the Syrian Kurdish political party, or the PYD. This arrestment was made on an Interpol red notice issued by the Turkish government.

According to an anonymous Kurdish official who is close to Muslim, Muslim was spotted in Prague this weekend for a conference that occurs every six months, during which he spoke out against Turkey’s invasion of the Syrian enclave, Afrin. 

Turkey considers Muslim as a terrorist and sent out the detention request for extradition, hoping that the Czech government would hand him to Turkey. Muslim was on the most wanted list of Turkey with a $1 million reward because he was allegedly involved in a car bomb attack in Turkey’s capital in March 2016 which killed 36 and injured 125 people.

Turkey has also been fighting with Kurdish insurgencies along its borders for the past three decades, which Turkish officials believe are tied to the Democratic Union Party, or the PYD. PYD’s armed wing, the People’s Protection Units, or the YPG, controls the majority of the territory along the 911-km borders that Turkey shares with Syria. Turkey also considers the PYD and the YPG as part of the Turkish-based Kurdish Workers’ Party, or the PKK, which is a terrorist organization recognized by both the European Union and the United States.

However, this relationship is further complicated internationally. The YPG has been a part of the larger international operation spearheaded by the US to combat the extremist Islamic State. The US has applauded and recognized their military and political wing for their capability in the past. This leads to increasing tension between the US and Turkey, two NATO allies.

Turkey president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has set his priority to driving back YPG forces out of Afrin and along the border, as he is wary of their links to the domestic Kurdish insurgences in Turkey. Earlier this year, on January 20th, Turkey launched an incursion into northern Syria to drive away the YPG force in Afrin. However, the pro-government Syrian forces have joined the local Kurdish forces in fending off the Turkish offensive, entering Afrin. While Erdogan considers Syrian forces to be terrorist, in the British Parliament, the Labour Party finds fault with the Turkish offensive.

The PYD has spoken out against Muslim’s detention as an “illegal and immoral act”. It has advocated for Muslim as a key player of great international influence in the fight against terrorism, accusing Turkey of interfering with the global effort against terrorist organizations. The Movement for a Democratic Party, an organization of Muslim, also stated that “Salih Muslim is a Syrian citizen”, demanding his return to Syria. An Interpol red notice cannot be equated with a criminal charge after all.

Muslim is a representative of the region of Rojava and its political coalition and even though he’s no longer the leader of PYD, he is still deeply tied to it and its political influences. Over the phone in Brussels, Muslim denied that the Kurdish Syrian organization based in northern Syria in Rojava is a part of the PKK and denounced Turkish attempt to defile the Kurds as terrorists. “To the Turks, the best Kurd is a dead Kurd,” stated Muslim.

The justice ministry is submitting an extradition request for Muslim, which will require the approval of a justice minister and the Czech government.

Featured Image via Wikimedia