Turkish mercenaries forcibly recruit children

Under the title “Turkey’s involvement in recruiting children from the areas it occupies in northern Syria,” the Maat Foundation affirmed in a report that the repeated failure of the international community to act effectively to protect civilians in Syria has encouraged Turkish mercenaries to commit systematic war crimes and other violations of international law, including child recruitment.

The "Maat" report indicated that mercenaries use complex patterns to forcibly recruit children and push them into warfare in the various areas it controls in northern Syria, killing and wounding hundreds of them.

The report confirmed Turkey's direct involvement in the recruitment of children to fight in northern and eastern Syria, and the transfer and use of these children to fight in Libya to support the Government of National Accord, Turkey's political ally, by using security companies working to recruit children under the age of 18 to participate in armed hostilities, especially in Libya.

"Maat" warned that "children are used on the front lines as fighters directly, or in security services such as inspecting border points, or logistical support related to military operations, in addition to working to serve older fighters, in addition to carrying out espionage activities."

The report noted “Turkish mercenaries sent in April 2020 two children to carry out a bombing operation in military gatherings of the Syrian Democratic Forces in northern and eastern Syria, who were no more than 15 years old, disguised as sheep shepherds, as one of the two children blew himself up before arriving at one of the military points, while the Syrian Democratic Forces managed to arrest the second child, who was wounded. "

Turkey, despite its accession to most of the international conventions that prevent the recruitment of children under eighteen, whether directly or indirectly, ignores these international charters, agreements and UN resolutions, and provides full support to its mercenaries in North and East Syria, for the purpose of recruiting children to participate in armed conflicts.