After Pakistan, Turkey also rejected the ‘US list of underage soldiers

Associated Press Service

ISLAMABAD:July 3, Turkey’s foreign ministry has rejected a US report on human trafficking that criticized Ankara for providing “operational, equipment and financial support” to organizations recruiting underage soldiers in Syria.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday night that it had “rejected” the claim and that its record was clear.

The statement also accused Washington of “double standards and hypocrisy” and pointed to US support for Kurdish militants in Syria.

It cites a United Nations report on the recruitment and exploitation of underage soldiers under the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Turkey says Syrian Kurdish militants who helped the SDF fight the extremist ISIS group belonged to Kurdish fighters who have been rebelling against Turkey for more than three decades. He has been declared a terrorist.