Christians in Syria at risk of “genocidal” attacks from NATO member Turkey
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Christians in Syria continue to face “genocidal” attacks not only from jihadists inside the country but also from Islamist-affiliated, NATO member Turkey, Algemeiner reports.
The NGO Genocide Watch issued a Genocide Emergency Alert after Turkey carried out attacks against Kurds and Christians in north Syria last November, Algemeiner said.
“These military attacks by Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s regime are part of a wider Turkish policy of annihilation of the Kurdish and Assyrian [Christian] people in northern Syria and Iraq,” Genocide Watch said in its Alert.
Turkey has carried three ground operations in Syria, which allowed jihadists to gain control of large sections of the country, Algemeiner said. This in turn has led to human rights violations and massive displacement of religious minorities, including Christians.
“Turkey has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, including bombing, shelling, abduction, torture, and extrajudicial killings,” Genocide Watch said.”The attacks are part of Turkey’s genocidal policies towards Kurds, Christians, and Ezidis.”
In a separate statement, Charmaine Hedding, president of the humanitarian NGO Shai Fund, noted that despite being a NATO member, Turkey has allied with former ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Tahrir al-Sham jihadists who “are committing massive human rights abuses and have an agenda to create a caliphate, and they will eradicate the religious minorities in this area.”
Ruled by rogue Russian-backed President Bashar al-Assad, war-torn and devastated Syria ranks 12th on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2023 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
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