Turkey sentences two Czech nationals for links to Syrian – Kurdish YPG


nsnbc : A court in Turkey sentenced two Czech nationals to six years and three months for membership in the Syrian – Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). Turkey designates the YPG as terrorist organization allied and on par with Turkey’s outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK). The government of the Czech Republic has had publicly-known formal contacts with the YPG since 2015.

Czech nationals Markéta Všelichová (L) with Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters against Islamic State group, arrested in Turkey.

Czech nationals Markéta Všelichová (L) with Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters against Islamic State group, arrested in Turkey.

The Czech Republic’s Foreign Ministry said that it is disappointed that a Turkish court sentenced two Czech nationals, Miroslav Farkaš and Markéta Všelichová, to “stiff prison terms” for belonging to a Kurdish militant group.

Farkas and Vselichova were arrested November 13, 2016, in Turkey’s Sirnak province while trying to cross the border from Turkey to Iraq’s Kurdistan Autonomous Region (KAR).

Czech officials rejected the claim that the two “had anything to do with terrorism”. Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek says his ministry will do all it can to ensure Farkas’ and Vselichova’s appeal will be dealt with properly. Although there is no official confirmation yet, the two are believed to be 30 and 24 years old, respectively.

While Turkey perceives the YPG as the Syrian wing of the PKK, the United States perceives the YPG as the main constituent of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

The YPG denies direct links to the PKK or being a PKK subsidiary. These denials may in part be inspired by the perceived need not to cause a PR dilemma for the USA which is being heavily criticized by Turkey for its cooperation with “Kurdish terrorists”.  The YPG and the all-female YPJ have about 60,000 armed troops, including a large number of foreigners.

Nisreen Abdullah (2nd from right), top commander of the Kurdish Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) received by staff members from the Czech Defense Ministry, Sep 7, 2015. Photo: YPJ twitter

Nisreen Abdullah (2nd from right), top commander of the Kurdish Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) received by staff members from the Czech Defense Ministry, Sep 7, 2015. Photo: YPJ twitter

However, banners, flags and posters of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan are commonplace at YPG facilities and rallies. In fact, they are so common that General Raymond Thomas, commander of the United States special operations forces command, recently described it as a PR issue for the YPG and the USA.

Formal contacts between the Czech government and the YPG / YPJ have existed at least since 2015. The Czech position with regard to the Syrian Kurdish PYD and its military wings the YPG and its all female wing, the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) is somewhat ambiguous.

In April 2016 the YPG formally opened an office in the Czech capital Prague. Permission was granted by Czech authorities. However, the office was closed again in December 2016 reportedly because of failure to establish cooperation and ambiguities with regard to the YPG and international law.

CH/L – nsnbc 03.08.2017



Source Article from https://nsnbc.me/2017/08/03/turkey-sentences-two-czech-nationals-for-links-to-syrian-kurdish-ypg/

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