Speaking at the opening session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on February 29, 2016, Turkey claimed that "Islamophobia" is as significant a challenge as Islamic terrorism and the massacres perpetrated in Syria.
In the words of the statement: "[T]he Human Rights Council convenes amid global challenges of unprecedented nature. The protracted conflict in Syria entering its sixth year, horrendous atrocities committed by DAESH, ongoing threats of racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia ... are all hurting the conscience of humanity."