Türkiye is determined to disrupt malign and separatist agendas of terrorist organizations like Daesh, the PKK and its Syrian branch YPG while staying committed to the political unity and territorial integrity of Syria, the country’s United Nations envoy Sedat Önal said Thursday as he addressed the U.N. Security Council meeting on Syria.
Noting that even before the Feb. 6 earthquakes that left over 56,000 people dead in southeast Türkiye and northwest Syria, the humanitarian plight of Syrians was at unbearable levels, Önal underscored the importance of cross-border humanitarian assistance.
“The ongoing crisis in Syria cannot be overlooked,” he said. “Earthquakes and post-disaster emergency needs demonstrated the risks of procrastination.”
Önal further emphasized the importance of reinvigorating the political process to end the 13-year civil war in the country, saying: “UNSC Resolution 2254 includes applicable basic principles for a political solution. Preservation of calm on the ground is important for the continuation of humanitarian efforts and advancing the political process.”
He also pointed out that creating suitable conditions for the voluntary and safe return of refugees is the collective responsibility of the international community.
Recognizing that it takes a multidimensional approach and the involvement of all stakeholders to alleviate the plight of Syrians, he said Türkiye will continue to be a part of all international efforts toward this end.
The past decade saw nearly half a million killed and over 12 million fleeing their homes to seek refuge elsewhere. While fighting has recently mellowed and about 40% of the country is controlled by Turkish-backed opposition forces, the Assad regime is insistent on ignoring the needs of the Syrian people in its aim to further territorial gains and crush the opposition.
Meanwhile, the country’s northern strip has been plagued by terrorist organizations like the PKK/YPG and remnants of Daesh attacking civilians and usurping natural resources like oil fields in the Hasakah, Raqqa and Deir el-Zour districts.
The PKK/YPG in particular has grown stronger thanks to military and monetary support from the U.S.
Since 2016, Ankara has been leading counteroffensives against these groups and striving to establish a 30-kilometer-deep (19-mile-deep) security line, for which Russia and the U.S. also committed support for in October 2019 under agreements that are yet to be fulfilled.
However, a recent rapprochement between Ankara and Damascus could change the course of the civil war.
