Türkiye online newspaper, known for its close ties to the Turkish government, has published an interview with Salih Müslim, co-leader of the pro-Kurdish Syrian PYD Party.
In December, Turkish independent journalist Nevşin Mengü was detained after she released a video with the PYD leader. In late February, a court sentenced Mengü to a deferred prison sentence as a result of the incident.
In his interview with Türkiye, Salih Müslim commented on the recent agreement signed by Syrian Kurdish leader Mazlum Abdi and interim Syrian President Ahmed Al-Shara, saying: “This agreement was not made on the orders of the United States or any other foreign country. We will not allow anyone to influence our final decision on this matter.”
Regarding PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s recent call for the armed group to lay down its arms, Müslim commented, saying: “We plan to abide by the agreement. We do not see Turkey as an enemy and we are making no requests for autonomy within Turkey.”
Mengü’s interview with Müslim
Shortly after the fall of the Assad regime, Nevşin Mengü published an interview on her YouTube channel on December 13th with Müslim discussing the developments in Syria. The interview, however, was taken down within hours following recommendations from Mengü’s lawyers.
Shortly thereafter, the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor released a statement saying Mengü had been taken into custody as a result of the video, in which she allegedly “praised the terrorist organization and its actions”.
Müslim’s Democratic Union Party (PYD) has links to the banned Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), and is classified by Turkey as a terrorist organization.
Mengü is a well-known freelance journalist in Turkey who runs a YouTube series titled Bugün Ne Oldu? (What Happened Today?).
