Turkey has arrested Syrian singer Omar Souleyman on “terrorism” charges PKK photos

The singer was arrested at his home in Sanliurfa for collaborating with the banned Kurdish militia, sources said.

Turkish authorities have arrested world-renowned Syrian singer Omar Souleyman for colluding with the Kurdish militia, his son, a local security source and Turkish journalists have said.

A search warrant was issued for Omar Almasikh – the singer’s real name – and the Turkish military detained him at his home in Sanliurfa in southeastern Turkey, a local security source told Reuters.

Police arrested the singer and 55-year-old DJ after receiving information of his whereabouts, he said.

Souleyman’s son, Muhammed, confirmed the arrest of his father at the Syrian North Press on Wednesday. He asserted that his confession had been obtained through torture.

The singer’s supervisor – who asked not to be named – told AFP that Souleyman had been taken for questioning in Sanliurfa, where he had been baking bread since he fled the 2011 Syrian civil war.

Shortly after launching its weddings and other events in northern Syria, Souleyman’s refreshing electronic music gained worldwide popularity in recent years. He has released several albums and collaborated with singers such as Bjork.

Turkey Demiroren and other journalists also reported on his arrest. He was taken to hospital for medical check-ups and is expected to be taken to a diabetes center for questioning, a security source said.

The singer, who hails from the Syrian town of Ras al-Ain – is accused of being a member of the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara sees as a terrorist group. It also sees the development of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been involved in protests against Turkey since 1984.

Turkish troops have carried out three border crossings against the YPG in Syria and often keep people in their homes because of their alliance with the PKK.

His boss said he expected Souleyman to be released Wednesday. But Turkish media reports say Souleyman was arrested on suspicion of being a “member of a terrorist group”, a crime that has left thousands in prison in Turkey over the past decade.

Authorities in Sanliurfa confirmed Souleyman’s arrest but did not comment further after being linked to AFP.

Omar Souleyman has said that his happy songs incorporate Arabic, Kurdish and other cultures in the region. He has been active in countries such as Turkey, the United States and Japan, as well as throughout Europe.

He participated in the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo in December 2013, and participated in a prestigious concert at the prestigious South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas earlier that year.

The official video for his 2013 song Warni Warni has received nearly 95 million views on YouTube.

Turkey has 3.6 million refugees who have fled the war in Syria that has been going on for 10 years.