Former Leader of the Syrian Democratic Union Party Arrested in Prague

Turkish and Syrian Kurdish officials have reported the arrest of the former leader of the "Democratic Union Party" (PYD), Saleh Muslim, in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. He was detained at the request of the Turkish government and an "Interpol Red Notice." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed the news of Muslim's arrest on Sunday, expressing hope that the Czech Republic would extradite him to Turkey. The Turkish Deputy Prime Minister labeled Saleh Muslim as a "terrorist leader" and stated that Turkey made an extradition request following his arrest. A Kurdish official close to Saleh Muslim, who wished to remain anonymous, mentioned that Muslim had traveled to Prague to attend a conference. According to him, after a participant took a photo of him, the Czech police arrested the Syrian politician at Turkey's request. The Czech police confirmed the arrest of the 67-year-old politician without providing details, stating that he was detained at Turkey's request. Saleh Muslim has been on Turkey's "most wanted" list since February, with a reward of one million dollars for information leading to his capture. The Turkish Ministry of Justice claims that Muslim is accused of involvement in a car bombing in Istanbul in March 2016 that left 36 dead and 125 injured. The Turkish government holds the Democratic Union Party and the People's Protection Units (YPG), the military branch of the party, responsible for these attacks. Turkey considers the YPG a "terrorist" group and an ally of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The Democratic Union Party was established in northern Syria in 2003, and Saleh Muslim is regarded as an influential figure within the party. In a statement condemning Saleh Muslim's arrest, the party accused Czech officials of committing an "illegal and unethical" act. The group also accused Turkey of employing "dirty methods" to pursue individuals involved in the "war on terror." According to the Associated Press, Muslim's extradition request must be approved by the Czech court and the Ministry of Justice. Saleh Muslim is considered a Syrian citizen. About a month ago, Turkey launched an attack on Kurdish militants in the Afrin region of northern Syria, aiming to clear border areas of YPG forces. Turkey shares a 911-kilometer border with Syria, much of which is controlled by the YPG.