Turkey rejects accusations by a human rights group that it committed abuses in Syria

By SUZAN FRASER
Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A Turkish official has rejected allegations by a human rights group that Turkey bears responsibility for some of the abuses and possible war crimes carried out mostly against Kurdish residents in northern in Syria. Human Rights Watch said in a 74-page report released Thursday that the alleged abuses were committed by Turkish forces and also by Ankara-backed armed factions in areas they control in northern Syria. But a senior Turkish Foreign Ministry official denied the accusations on Friday, insisting that the report by the New York-based watchdog “did not reflect the realities on the ground” and ignored Turkey’s security concerns. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol.