MESOP FOCUS : YPG accuses Turkey of handing over six Kurdish fighters to Nusra Front

ARA News – 10 Aug 2015 – Urfa, Turkey – The General Command of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Kobane accused the Turkish government of handing over six Kurdish YPG fighters to al-Qaeda affiliated group of al-Nusra Front through the border crossing of Bab al-Hawa, north Syria.

The YPG leadership in Kobane released Saturday a statement, of which ARA News received a copy, saying: “Six of our fighters, who were wounded in the clashes with Daesh terrorists (Islamic State group IS/ISIS), entered legally through Mursit Pinar crossing into Turkey to receive treatment there, but we have lost contact with them for some days.”“Our sources confirmed that Turkey has handed over the six injured YPG fighters to al-Nusra Front across the border gate of Bab al-Hawa,” the statement added.The YPG’s leadership urged the Turkish government to clarify its position regarding the six abducted Kurdish fighters and return them back as soon as possible.The missing YPG fighters include Omar Qadir, Ahmed Shergo, Reber Siho, Ahmed Halloum, Jamal Ahmed and Bashir Mohammed. Kurds accuse Turkey of supporting Syria’s al-Qaeda affiliate of Nusra Front and other Islamist groups. Kurdish fighters have been battling Nusra and ISIS militants for more than two years in northern Syria. Over the past few months, the Turkish security arrested dozens of Syrian Kurdish fighters –who were wounded during battles in Kobane and transferred to Turkish hospitals for treatment– under the pretext that they belong to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).