News of arrests of YPG-linked Czechs shocks Turkey
Turkish authorities arrested two Czechs who allegedly confessed to working with the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units.
Prague is a favorite honeymoon destination for Turkish newlyweds, and the Czech Republic is generally idealized in Turkey as a mecca of beautiful women and febrile intellectuals, all sipping the country’s famous brews. It must have therefore come as something of a shock for many Turks to read the headline news today that two “Czech terrorists” had been arrested in the predominantly Kurdish town of Sirnak, in southeastern Turkey.
The pair, identified as Miroslav Farkas and Marketa Vselichova, are allegedly members of the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), the United States’ top ally in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. The YPG is also closely linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is fighting for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey. Turkey considers both groups terrorist organizations and is infuriated by the YPG's cooperation with Washington.
