Statement from Ankara condemning US Report which allegedly refers to Turkey as “Child Soldier Recruiter”
Turkey has strongly condemned the “2023 US Trafficking in Persons Report”, which unjustly includes Turkey in the list of countries employing child soldiers, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.
In its statement, the ministry expressed deep disappointment that Turkey’s substantial efforts to combat human trafficking were overlooked in this report. It said, “Turkey is actively engaged in preventing human trafficking, punishing offenders, and safeguarding victims, while also actively collaborating at bilateral, regional, and international levels to strengthen these efforts.”
TURKEY IS A SIGNATORY TO MANY INT’L AGREEMENTS CONCERNING CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
The statement criticized the report for politicizing human rights and rejected all allegations of child recruitment within Turkey. Turkey is a signatory to numerous international agreements concerning children’s rights, including those established by the United Nations, and diligently adheres to them.
Furthermore, the ministry urged the US to address its own actions in supporting the PKK/YPG terrorist group, which forcibly recruited children in Syria and Iraq. Turkey raised questions about the credibility of the information sources used by US authorities for such decisions and emphasized that this unfounded accusation does not align with the spirit of alliance.
EVIDENCE OF SERIOUS CRIMES COMMITTED BY SYRIAN DEMOCRATIC FORCES
The statement pointed to documented evidence of serious crimes committed by the Syrian Democratic Forces, controlled by the PKK/YPG, including the forcible recruitment of children, abductions, and the military use of schools in Syria. It also referenced the US State Department’s 2022 International Religious Freedom Report on Iraq, which highlighted the PKK’s recruitment of Yezidi children for ideological indoctrination purposes.
The Foreign Ministry reiterated Turkey’s commitment to international conventions aimed at preventing human trafficking and affirmed its determination to continue its efforts in this regard.
