Turkey issues warrant for PYD leader Salih Muslim over Ankara bombing
ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey has issued an arrest warrant for Salih Muslim, co-leader of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), for alleged connections to an Ankara bombing last year which killed 28 people.
The state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Tuesday that arrest warrants had been issued for Muslim and 47 others, including some top leaders of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), including Murat Karayilan and Cemil Bayik, both founding members of the group.
February’s bombing targeted military busses during the evening rush hour. The PYD denied involvement after it was accused of the bombing following the attack.
Just days after the attack, another Kurdish group, the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK) claimed responsibility, saying it carried out the attack to show its opposition to policies of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The perpetrator, according to TAK, was a 26-year-old Turkish national from the eastern Turkish city of Van.
The then Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, however, named the Ankara bomber as Salih Necar, a Syrian national and member of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the PYD.
The state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Tuesday that arrest warrants had been issued for Muslim and 47 others, including some top leaders of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), including Murat Karayilan and Cemil Bayik, both founding members of the group.
Turkey regards PYD as the Syrian wing of the PKK.
February’s bombing targeted military busses during the evening rush hour. The PYD denied involvement after it was accused of the bombing following the attack.
Just days after the attack, another Kurdish group, the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK) claimed responsibility, saying it carried out the attack to show its opposition to policies of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The perpetrator, according to TAK, was a 26-year-old Turkish national from the eastern Turkish city of Van.
The then Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, however, named the Ankara bomber as Salih Necar, a Syrian national and member of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the PYD.