Syrian Kurdish leader: Turkey turns blind eye to ISIS
Salih Muslim, the leader of the Syrian Kurdish movement PYD, gives an exclusive interview to Al-Monitor on post-Mosul developments and Turkey's alleged support for ISIS.
![Saleh Muslim, head of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), is seen during a Reuters interview in Berlin Saleh Muslim, head of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), is seen during a Reuters interview in Berlin April 18, 2013. Bombings of Kurdish areas in Syria suggest that Syrian Kurds, long detached from the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad, are increasingly being targeted by his forces after they struck deals with rebels fighting to topple him, Muslim said. To match Interview SYRIA-CRISIS/KURDS REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay (GERMANY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST PROFILE) - RTXYR77](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2014/06/RTXYR77.jpg/RTXYR77.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=3QnbEusN)
The mind-boggling gains of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in Iraq have caused tremors in the region. Among questions most heard nowadays is whether the Middle East map will be redrawn and where Turkey will be in that. Another question often voiced is the alleged role of Turkey in the empowerment of ISIS. There are allegations that militants coming from abroad to join ISIS pass through Turkey. There are even allegations that Turkey, in addition to its support of Syrian opposition groups, is also supporting ISIS.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu vehemently denied such allegations and asked for proof. This is why we called on Salih Muslim, the co-chairman of Syrian’s most dominant Kurdish organization, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), who has been critical of Turkey on the ISIS issue. We asked him to back up his statements that Turkey has been supporting ISIS. Did he have any evidence of Turkey’s support of ISIS?
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