Prague, Feb 27 (CTK) – The Czech Republic rejects the accusation of support for international terrorism in connection with the release of Syrian Kurdish leader Saleh Muslim, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday in reaction to a diplomatic note in which Turkey’s complains about a Czech court’s verdict.
The Prague Municipal Court released on Tuesday Muslim, 67, who was detained in Prague on Saturday on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by Ankara, and whose extradition Turkey seeks on suspicion of terrorism. The verdict took effect since both parties gave up the right to a complaint.
Czech diplomacy protested against Ankara’s allegation that by its decision, Prague had violated international commitments.
“By the [Prague] Municipal Court’s decision, the Czech Republic violated none of its international and legal commitments, including those linked to the European convention on extraditions,” the Foreign Ministry said.
“In this connection, the Foreign Ministry resolutely rejects the allegation that Tuesday’s decision by an independent court was at variance with the Czech Republic’s commitments within the fight against international terrorism,” it added.
Earlier on Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the Prague court’s decision not to have Muslim taken into custody amounted to a scandal trampling on law. Ankara considers Muslim a terrorist, Cavusoglu said.
Until last year, Muslim was in the leadership of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the driving Kurdish political force in northern Syria. Turkey says the PYD is a part of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), it denotes as a terrorist organisation.
