"It is regrettable that Türkiye's significant efforts to prevent human trafficking have been disregarded" by US report, says Ankara. / Photo: AP Archive
Türkiye has slammed a US report that alleges Ankara uses child soldiers, pointing toward Washington's sustained support to militant groups in Syria that recruit children to conduct terror activities.
"We categorically reject all allegations of children recruitment attributed to our country which is party to all international documents on the protection of children's rights including those adopted within the framework of the UN and meticulously implements them," Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
"It is regrettable that Türkiye's significant efforts to prevent human trafficking have been disregarded by placing her in the list of child soldier recruiting states under the 'Child Soldiers Prevention Act' through an update of the 2023 US State Department Trafficking in Persons [TIP] Report," the statement added.
Türkiye said it is making every effort to prevent the crime of human trafficking, punish offenders and protect victims of the crime while maintaining its activities in an uninterrupted manner towards further strengthening bilateral, regional and international cooperation to this end.
Human rights is once again being politicised in the report, it said.
Türkiye reminded the US of the latter's military and financial support to PKK/YPG terrorist organisation, which forcibly recruits children for terrorist activities in Syria and Iraq, and asked Washington to face its own reality.
"This case also raises serious questions about the objectivity of the information sources on which the US authorities base their decisions. This slander, which does not bode well with the spirit of alliance, will be duly responded," it said.
Recruitment of children by US-backed group
Türkiye said numerous crimes committed by the so-called "Syrian Democratic Forces" or SDF under the control of the terrorist organisation PKK/YPG, such as forcibly recruiting children, abduction, deprivation of liberty and military use of schools in Syria were recently documented in the report disseminated by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria on September 12.
"Moreover, the most recent example of this terrorist organisation's repressive practices and crime has been witnessed in Deir ez-Zor," said the Foreign Ministry statement.
Highlighting that US State Department's 2022 report on Iraq explicitly states that PKK forcibly recruits hundreds of Yezidi children and abducts them for ideological indoctrination purposes, Türkiye said: "We would like to remind that scrutinising oppressive practices and serious crimes of the separatist terrorist organisation is among the fundamental responsibilities of the US."
"As a party committed to relevant regional and international conventions, Türkiye will resolutely perpetuate its efforts hitherto aimed at preventing the crime of human trafficking," it said.
