Directorate of Communications issues rebuttal to BBC

In a statement issued by the Presidential Directorate of Communications, it was stated, "The report attempts to create a completely false perception that 'Turkey is waging a war against Kurds in Syria'."

The Directorate of Communications issued a written statement regarding the report by the UK-based BBC titled "We Are Still at War. Syria's Kurds are fighting Turkey months after Assad's fall."

Emphasizing that the report in question does not reflect the truth, the statement noted that immediate action was taken regarding the report, a rebuttal was sent, and the Center for Combating Disinformation also issued a statement on the matter.

The statement reported that the rebuttal sent to the BBC included expressions stating that the report contained one-sided and misleading content that distorts Turkey's legitimate counter-terrorism activities in Syria, and emphasized that Turkey does not target any ethnic group or civilian population in its fight against terrorism.

The statement, which noted that Turkey's sole target is terrorist organizations such as the PKK/YPG and DAESH that threaten peace and security in the region, and that operations in northern Syria are carried out in accordance with international law with priority given to the protection of civilians, recorded the following:

"The report attempts to create a completely false perception that 'Turkey is waging a war against Kurds in Syria'. Turkey attaches importance to the territorial integrity of Syria and the peaceful life of its people, and adopts an approach that considers all ethnic and religious groups in the country. Turkey has hosted and continues to host millions of Syrians, including Kurds whose identities were ignored, citizenship rights were taken away, and who were subjected to systematic oppression during the Baath regime in the past. Thousands of Syrian Kurds living in Turkey today are the clearest indicator of Turkey's inclusive and human-oriented policies."

Turkey shows great sensitivity in protecting women and children in the region from armed conflict. Turkey's operations are planned with the highest sensitivity to avoid harming civilians, and humanitarian aid efforts in the region are being carried out without interruption. However, it is a fact documented by international reports that the PKK/YPG terrorist organization forcibly recruits children, exploits women, and uses civilians as human shields. Turkey's struggle aims to prevent such human rights violations and ensure the safety of the people in the region."

"WE EXPECT THE BBC TO ACT OBJECTIVELY"

The statement, which pointed out that Turkey strongly supports the efforts of the new Syrian administration, established after the end of the Baath regime, to establish national unity and solidarity in a way that encompasses all segments of the country, expressed that the future of Syria should be shaped by an inclusive and peaceful governance approach in which all ethnic and religious groups in the country are included as equal citizens.

Pointing out that the greatest threat to these efforts of the new Syrian administration is the presence of the PKK/YPG, which is a separatist and terrorist structure, the statement underlined that the PKK/YPG fuels ethnic discrimination by disrupting Syria's unity and stability, attempts to establish an illegal administration in the region through terrorism, and that this situation endangers the security of not only Syria but the entire region.

The statement emphasized that Turkey's presence in Syria coincides with the goals of the international coalition to end the threat of all terrorist organizations in the region, especially DAESH, and included the following statements:

"Turkey has been one of the countries that has waged the most effective fight against DAESH, neutralizing tens of thousands of terrorists and making the region safe. Turkey has also ensured the safety of thousands of civilians fleeing DAESH persecution and has supported humanitarian aid in the region. We expect the BBC to act with an objective and multi-faceted understanding of journalism instead of one-sided and unrealistic reports that mislead the public."

News Source: AA