ANKARA
Turkey has harshly condemned the "barbarity" shown by Daesh in its destruction of cultural properties, archeological areas, museums and mosques.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday: "Destroying cultural properties is equal to destroying countries, communities, religions and beliefs.
"Turkey, as a founding member of UNESCO, as a member of UNESCO World Heritage Committee and with its awareness of culture, history and civilization, calls for a stop to these barbaric attacks on cultural heritages."
The ministry described the attacks as "a crime against humanity."
Daesh is recently believed to have destroyed the ancient city of Nimrud in Iraq in what UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova described was a "war crime."
The alleged incidents follow the release of a video by Daesh militants showing extremist fighters apparently destroying ancient artifacts in Mosul’s museum on Feb. 27.
The monuments dated back to the 8th century B.C.
The terrorist organization of Daesh controls swathes regions in Iraq and Syria, where it has declared a so-called caliphate after taking the control of Iraq’s second-largest city in June 2014.
