US authorities must extradite the commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Defense Forces (SDF) to Turkey when he enters the United States, Turkish Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül said on Friday after Ankara slammed Washington for treating him as a “legitimate political figure,” Reuters reported.
US senators urged the State Department on Wednesday to quickly provide a visa to General Mazloum Kobani so he can visit the United States to discuss Syria. Ankara says he is a terrorist linked to Kurdish militants waging an insurgency in Turkey.
Speaking to reporters, Gül said Turkey will demand that US authorities detain Mazloum as soon as he enters the United States. He said the foreign ministry had conveyed the extradition request to the United States.