We strongly condemn and totally reject the statement made by Panos Moumtzis, United Nations Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis in which he relates the safe zone to be established in north-east Syria with the Srebrenica genocide.

Our reaction to this irresponsible statement, in which the Regional Coordinator oversteps his limits, has already been conveyed to UN officials.

The Regional Coordinator should be the best placed to know that Turkey hosts nearly four million Syrians and provides humanitarian aid to millions of people in this country.

The fact that the said person has not shown any sensitivity while the terror organization PYD/YPG has applied oppression and violence foremost against Kurds, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Arameans and all the people of the region, can also be seen as a manifestation of an unhealthy point of view.

In addition, Turkey made the utmost effort in order to prevent the Srebrenica genocide and this fact in no doubt is well known by an UN official coming from this region. Turkish public opinion is highly sensitive on the Srebrenica genocide and thereby its abuse by a distorted mindset is utterly unacceptable.