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AFP
Arbil
Iraqi Kurdish authorities on Monday denied handing over to Turkey the niece of an influential Syrian Kurdish official wanted by Ankara, as claimed by her family.
The interior ministry in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region dismissed the accusation from the family of Dalia Mahmoud Muslim, echoing an account given by official Turkish news agency Anadolu.
Citing security sources, Anadolu reported Saturday that the 21-year-old had “handed herself in” to Turkish security forces on July 15 in a southern province of Turkey.
Dalia Mahmoud Muslim is the niece of Saleh Muslim, longtime co-chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), political arm of the main Syrian Kurdish militia, the People’s Protection Units (YPG).
Iraqi Kurdish authorities said the young woman “had left the Women’s Protection Units (the YPG’s female equivalent) and started a relationship with a PKK fighter known as Toul Hadan, living in Bitlis”, Turkey.
“Both of them have decided to leave the PKK,” the interior ministry said in a statement.
Dalia Mahmoud Muslim travelled “clandestinely” to Turkey to hand herself over to Turkish authorities, it said.
On Sunday, her father, Mahmoud Muslim, said Iraqi Kurdish authorities bore “responsibility for her kidnapping or for handing her over to Turkish intelligence”, adding that any comments attributed to her were “false” and obtained “under pressure”.
Arbil
Iraqi Kurdish authorities on Monday denied handing over to Turkey the niece of an influential Syrian Kurdish official wanted by Ankara, as claimed by her family.
The interior ministry in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region dismissed the accusation from the family of Dalia Mahmoud Muslim, echoing an account given by official Turkish news agency Anadolu.
Citing security sources, Anadolu reported Saturday that the 21-year-old had “handed herself in” to Turkish security forces on July 15 in a southern province of Turkey.
Dalia Mahmoud Muslim is the niece of Saleh Muslim, longtime co-chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), political arm of the main Syrian Kurdish militia, the People’s Protection Units (YPG).
Iraqi Kurdish authorities said the young woman “had left the Women’s Protection Units (the YPG’s female equivalent) and started a relationship with a PKK fighter known as Toul Hadan, living in Bitlis”, Turkey.
“Both of them have decided to leave the PKK,” the interior ministry said in a statement.
Dalia Mahmoud Muslim travelled “clandestinely” to Turkey to hand herself over to Turkish authorities, it said.
On Sunday, her father, Mahmoud Muslim, said Iraqi Kurdish authorities bore “responsibility for her kidnapping or for handing her over to Turkish intelligence”, adding that any comments attributed to her were “false” and obtained “under pressure”.
