Turkey’s recent military activities in northern Syria and Iraq have resulted in the forced displacements and risk of torture of civilians, according to Leonardo Rodriguez Perez, Maloca International’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. In an interview with Medya Haber TV’s Serkan Demirel on Monday, Perez stressed that these actions violate the UN Convention against Torture and the territorial integrity of Syria and Iraq.
Turkey’s activities in northern Syria have caused forced displacement, placing civilians at risk of torture, which is prohibited by the UN Convention against Torture. Perez emphasised that Turkey’s actions violate the territorial integrity of Syria and Iraq, and called for international accountability.
Perez criticised NATO’s perceived protection of Turkey, stating, “The reason why it is not judged is because it is part of NATO. In the NATO club, when you are part of NATO you protect each other, you do whatever you want, and nobody holds you accountable.” He called for Turkey to be recognised as an occupying power, which would provide more tools under international humanitarian law to hold it accountable.
The 80th session of the UN Committee Against Torture (UNCAT), running from 8 July to 26 July, will address these issues, with non-governmental organisations presenting reports on Turkey’s alleged crimes. Perez also noted that the isolation on Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan in Turkey’s İmralı Prison, which is also going to be discussed in the session, violates all human rights conventions and constitutes torture.
NGO representatives will engage in a session on 17-18 July focused on Turkey, posing questions and further highlighting these human rights concerns.
