In response to a report released by Human Rights Watch, Turkey has rejected allegations that it bears responsibility for abuses and possible war crimes against Kurdish residents in northern Syria. The 74-page report accused Turkish forces and Ankara-backed armed factions of committing abuses in areas they control.
A senior Turkish Foreign Ministry official denied the accusations, stating that the report did not accurately reflect the situation on the ground and ignored Turkey's security concerns. The official emphasized that Turkey upholds international humanitarian law.
Since 2016, Turkey has conducted three major operations in Syria, targeting the People's Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey considers a terrorist organization linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The PKK has been engaged in a long-standing insurgency in Turkey.
The Human Rights Watch report detailed allegations of abductions, arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, sexual violence, and torture in Turkish-occupied northern Syria. The report also implicated the Turkish army and intelligence agencies in overseeing these abuses.
The Turkish official countered by stating that areas cleared by Turkish forces are now controlled by the Syrian opposition, which has made progress in improving human rights and is collaborating with U.N. agencies.
