#Criticism #Turkey #human #rights #report
Announcing the report to the public, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made references to some topics such as the Israel-Palestine problem and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Russia’s violations in Ukraine and the crisis in Sudan.
Blinken stated that the investigation into whether Israel “acted in accordance with international law in Gaza” continues, and that they will share their findings on this issue with the public soon.
“WE DO NOT APPLY DOUBLE STANDARDS REGARDING ISRAEL”
Blinken said, “We do not apply double standards regarding Israel, we apply the same standard to everyone.” he said.
“The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza raises deep concerns about human rights.” Using the statement, Blinken drew attention to the Hamas attacks on October 7. Blinken noted that approximately 1200 people died in these attacks and approximately 230 people were taken hostage.
Emphasizing that Israel should exercise its “right to self-defense” against these attacks and conduct its “military operations” in the region in accordance with international law, Blinken said, “We continue to be concerned about the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including children, women and disabled people.” gave.
Stating that the USA has warned its Israeli counterparts at every opportunity about the protection of Palestinian civilians, Blinken said, “We have repeatedly raised our concerns (to the Israeli side) about the access of Palestinian civilians to humanitarian aid, the displacement of most of the people of Gaza, and the killing of an unprecedented number of journalists.” said.
Türkiye SECTION
In the Turkey section of the report, it was pointed out that according to international institutions and observers, voters were able to freely express their political preferences in the presidential elections held in May last year, but it was stated that there were problems with political freedoms.
The report, in which the expression “Gulen movement” was preferred in the sections related to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), included critical statements regarding Turkey’s operations against the PKK and YPG in the north of Iraq and Syria.
RUSSIA’S VIOLATIONS IN UKRAINE
Referring to Russia’s violations in Ukraine, Blinken said, “Russian forces use violence against civilians as a deliberate tool of war.” made his assessment.
Blinken emphasized that the US State Department’s report contains comprehensive assessments, examples and findings regarding violations in Ukraine.
GAZA AND THE WEST BANK
In the Gaza section of the report, which was made available to the public after Blinken’s speech, it was noted that more than 21 thousand civilians were killed in Gaza from October 7 to December 31, 2023.
The report described the situation in Gaza as a “severe humanitarian crisis” and underlined that 50 to 70 percent of the buildings in the region were destroyed and the region became largely uninhabitable.
The report emphasized that human rights violations against Palestinians in the region by Israeli Jewish settlers continue in the occupied West Bank, and the rights violations reported over the past year are listed.
In the sections of the US 2023 Human Rights Report on China, Iran, Sudan and Cuba, human rights violations in these countries were extensively covered, while news of violations from these countries throughout 2023 were referenced.
YPG SECTION IN SYRIA
In the Syria section of the report, it was stated that YPG/PKK kept approximately 9 thousand ISIS members under surveillance in 11 separate facilities in the north of the country and that the conditions in these prisons were quite bad.
The report stated that YPG killed 74 civilians, including women and children, and stated that the organization “suppressed other political views” and committed serious violations such as “torture” and “kidnapping” in the regions it controlled.
The report stated that between April 2022 and March 2023, YPG forcibly recruited 637 children and used them in conflict zones, and the records of the findings were shared with reference to the “US State Department Human Trafficking Report”.
