Turkey issues arrest warrant for Syrian Kurdish political leader

Istanbul (dpa) - Turkey has issued arrest warrants for a number of Kurdish leaders, including Salih Muslim, head of the main Kurdish party in Syria, and top figures in the armed Kurdistan Workers‘ Party (PKK), the state-run Anadolu news agency reported Tuesday.The warrants relate to a car bombing in February in the Turkish capital Ankara, which left 30 people dead. The attack was claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcon (TAK), a small, shadowy Kurdish nationalist splinter group.In all, Turkey is seeking 48 Kurdish officials, including Cemil Bayik, the leader of the PKK, who is based in northern Iraq. The February car bombing was carried out by Abdulbaki Soenmez, a Turkish citizen. Turkey had initially tried to claim the attack was carried out by a Syrian national, but evidence later contradicted this allegation.The Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which Muslim heads, denies any involvement in the attack in Ankara and says it is focused on the issues inside Syria, including the war against Islamic State.The armed wing of the PYD is the United States‘ main ally on the ground in Syria against Islamic State.The PKK, which has been fighting for greater rights for the Kurdish minority in Turkey, is listed as a terrorist organization by both the US and the European Union. Kurds in Turkey often complain of systemic discrimination.A peace process between Turkey and the PKK collapsed last year and violence has returned, resulting in more than 2,000 deaths. More than 40,000 people have died in the 30-year conflict.