Turkey's Foreign Ministry Responds to Allegations of Child Recruitment

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has sharply criticized the U.S. State Department's report accusing the country of recruiting children. This information is reported by RIA Novosti.

"It was expected that the U.S., which provides military and financial support to the PKK/YPG terrorist organization (the banned Kurdish Workers' Party in Turkey), which forcibly recruits children for terrorist activities in Syria and Iraq, would confront this reality before making such defamatory statements against Turkey. The objectivity of the sources on which U.S. authorities base their decisions raises serious doubts. An appropriate response will be given to this defamation that is incompatible with the spirit of alliance," stated the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

The ministry noted that a report from the UN commission investigating the situation in Syria, dated September 12, 2023, recorded numerous serious crimes committed by the PKK/YPG terrorist organization, including the recruitment of children, their abduction, detention, and the use of schools for military purposes.

“In the 2022 U.S. State Department report on religious freedom regarding Iraq, it is mentioned that the PKK abducted hundreds of Yazidi children for forced recruitment and ideological 'brainwashing'. We would like to remind that the study of the violent practices and serious crimes of this separatist terrorist organization is one of the main obligations of the U.S.,” the foreign ministry’s statement added.

It was emphasized that Turkey adheres to regional and international agreements and will continue its efforts aimed at preventing crimes related to human trafficking.

Earlier, the U.S. State Department included Turkey in the list of countries using child soldiers.