US Commission on International Religious Freedom condemns Turkish human rights abuses in Syria
WASHINGTON, USA (North Press) – In an interview with Nadine Maenza, a Commissioner on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom on Tuesday, Maenza stated that the area under the control of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration “offers remarkable religious freedom conditions,” while adding that Turkish-occupied areas have witnessed clear “atrocities against minority communities that include killings, rapes, kidnappings, forced conversion, and destruction of religious sites” and recommending that the United States press Turkey to be clear about the timeline of its eventual withdrawal from Syria.
While the Maenza declined to comment on their view of the Turkish government, stating that the commission “[doesn’t] consider the bilateral relationship with a country” when creating reports, she pointed out that on Tuesday the US issued a statement strongly condemning Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s hosting of Hamas leaders.
According to USCIRF’s statement, conditions for religious freedom in Turkey are sharply deteriorating and “it is becoming more apparent to US leadership that President Erdogan does not share US values,” and “the US and international community need to start looking at Turkey for who Erdogan says they are, and what they do, not what we want them to be.”
The USCIRF continued to praise the Autonomous Administration’s commitment to “Syrian unity, territorial integrity, non-sectarian character, and the meaningful participation of women,” adding that “The only government in Syria that is an ally of the US in the fight against ISIS is [the Autonomous Administration].” Maenza also pointed out that they encouraged the inclusion of delegates from the Autonomous Administration in the Geneva-based talks surrounding a political solution to the Syrian crisis.
When North Press’s Washington correspondent asked if the USCIRF could influence policy, Maenza responded that though their recommendations may have played a role in popular support for the Autonomous Administration regions of Syria and they welcomed the chance to “further peace and religious freedom in Syria,” it was the Autonomous Administration “who did the hard work of creating a government that respects religious freedom, women’s rights, and clearly shares American values.”