Turkey rebukes US over child soldiers allegations

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Sep 2023 16:25

Turkey's Foreign Ministry has strongly denounced a recent US State Department report that accuses the country of recruiting child soldiers.

An undated photo showing the Turkish Foreign Ministry building. (AFP)

Turkey's Foreign Ministry issued a robust condemnation on Saturday in response to a US State Department report that accused the nation of enlisting child soldiers. The ministry emphasized its intent to deliver a fitting reply to what it perceives as a baseless accusation that goes against the principles of alliance.

In its recent update to the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report, the US State Department included Turkey as a nation employing underage soldiers.

"It is regrettable that Turkiye’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 U.S. State Department Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report,” the ministry said in a statement.

Turkey further accused the United States of offering financial aid to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an organization banned in Turkey as a terrorist organization, adding that this support was linked to the recruitment of children for terrorist activities in Syria and Iraq.

"It would be anticipated from the US, which provides military and financial support to the PKK/YPG [Kurdistan Workers' Party] terrorist organization, which forcibly recruits children for terrorist activities in Syria and Iraq, 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 to," the statement added.

The ministry also pointed out that the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria documented numerous grave offenses committed by the PKK, including their involvement in the recruitment of child soldiers, in a report dated September 12, 2023. Turkey, on its part, remains committed to combatting human trafficking, according to the statement.