Turkey calls on Germany, US to hand over YPG leader

Turkey yesterday called on Germany and the United States (US) to extradite the commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Kobani.

“We have asked for the arrest and extradition of Kobani from relevant states to our country, after media reports that he would travel to the US and Germany,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told CNN Türk.

Kobani recently accused Turkey of “working to encourage the Daesh to regroup,” warning that the Turkish aggression on borders with Syria had given Daesh “hope to reshape its elements”.

Ankara views the YPG, the main component of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as a terrorist group with links to Kurdish militants in Turkey.

Turkey launched its third military incursion into northeast Syria last month to drive Kurdish YPG fighters from its border and establish a “safe zone” where it aims to settle up to two million Syrian refugees.

READ: Turkey will launch another Syria operation if area not cleared of Kurdish YPG