Turkey slams UN official's talks with terrorist leader

ANKARA

Turkey on Thursday strongly condemned a senior UN official’s meeting with a leader of a terrorist organization, terming it a blow to the “credibility of the UN in the fight against terrorism.”

“It is a grave situation in terms of the global fight against terrorism that the United Nations Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba held a teleconference meeting with Ferhat Abdi Sahin, the leader of the so-called ‘Syrian Democratic Forces’ under the direction of the terrorist organization PKK/PYD/YPG, and other terrorist organization members,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry urged the UN to immediately take necessary steps regarding the meeting.

“This attitude is a clear violation of United Nations resolutions on the fight against terrorism. It damages the credibility of the UN in the fight against terrorism,” read the statement.

“The way to prevent the gravest crimes against children, ranging from sexual abuse to forcible recruitment by the terrorist organization PKK/PYD/YPG, is the sincere and effective implementation of anti-terrorism measures, without discrimination among terrorist organizations.”

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is PKK's Syrian offshoot.