Madame President,

I thank Special Envoy Pedersen and Assistant Secretary General Msuya for their briefings. I also thank the civil society briefer, Ms Nirvana Shawky.

This month at the UN, we discussed the fate of the thousands of missing persons and detainees who disappeared at the hands of the Syrian regime and the recent report of the IIIM concerning the most serious crimes committed in Syria since 2011.

These updates continue to remind us the unimaginable levels of suffering Syrian people continue to endure.

Their stories cannot be sidelined.

Madame President,

As we repeat every month in this Chamber, a sustainable solution to the Syrian conflict can only be achieved through political means in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

The only functioning mechanism of this political process is the Constitutional Committee, which must start producing tangible outcomes.

Yet, once again due to the regime's uncompromising attitude, the 7th round of the Committee meetings did not yield any concrete results.

We congratulate, on the other hand, the Syria Negotiation Commission, which, through its flexible stance, has contributed constructively to the work of the Committee.

We will continue to support the work of the UN and Special Envoy Pedersen for a political solution based on Resolution 2254.

Madame President,

Preserving the ceasefire and maintaining uninterrupted humanitarian aid in Idleb is crucial not only in preventing new humanitarian crises, but also in supporting the efforts towards a permanent solution to the Syrian conflict.

Yet, the regime’s and its backers’ attacks against civilians and their ceasefire violations continue.

We renew our warning that an escalation in Idleb will have serious consequences for all involved, especially the regime.

It is the international community’s collective responsibility to prevent a new humanitarian crisis and migration wave, which could be triggered by such an escalation.

Madame President,

Some actors in the region have misguidedly tied their hopes of eradicating DEASH to another terrorist organization: PKK/YPG.

We have consistently warned the international community about this terrorist organization.

We have, on numerous occasions, expressed our concerns that DEASH members are being released in exchange for bribes which will only aid in its resurgence.

Let us also briefly address upon the acts of aggression by the PKK/YPG for the Council:

In the last year, they attacked Shifa Hospital in Afrin.

They have recruited child soldiers.

They prevented civilians from returning to their homes including Kurds and Yazidis.

They violently suppressed peaceful civilian protests.

They arrested Arabic teachers.

These acts and atrocities are well documented in the reports of international organizations and NGOs.

Most recently on 20 April, PKK/YPG targeted a family in Jarablus and attacked the civil defense teams that subsequently came to help the family, killing 1 person and injuring 5 others.

While all of this is happening, the so-called 'Syrian Democratic Forces' issue statements of open support to PKK, revealing once again that they are part of the same terrorist entity.

We assure you, all terror organizations be PKK/YPG or DEASH will pay for the atrocities they commit.

We will not tolerate any terrorist organization, nor will they find safe haven along our borders.

Madame President,

Humanitarian needs in Syria are at their highest level since the beginning of the conflict, with currently 14.6 million people across the country in need of humanitarian assistance.

Syrians living in the north-west are among the most vulnerable, with increasing protection and humanitarian needs.

Hence the continuation of the UN’s cross border aid mechanism beyond July is first and foremost a humanitarian imperative.

We have also heard from Assistant Secretary General Msuya about the developments on cross-line access to Idleb.

The continuation of the UN’s dialogue with relevant local actors will be useful in relation to requests for additional cross-line convoys.

The preservation of the parameters, which previously proved to function, would facilitate the planning and execution of this activity.

Similarly, coordination between the UN and the Syrian Interim Government is crucial with respect to cross-line requests to Ras al-Ayn and Tell Abiad region, where the oriental boil disease medicines and childhood vaccines are priority.

On our part, we will continue to constructively engage and facilitate the efforts for cross line convoys.

Yet, we would like to caution against preparing plans based on the unilateral timetables of the regime, without a prior agreement with the Syrian opposition and local actors.

Additionally, we would like to remind that cross-line aid cannot replace or replicate the size and scope of the cross-border operation.

There is simply no alternative to the cross-border mechanism.

Madame President,

Syrian people deserve our collective action.
Türkiye will continue to do its utmost to bring peace and justice to the brave Syrians who have suffered too much, for too long.

Yet, this is a moral and legal responsibility that rests with all of us, especially the members of the Council.

The world entrusted the permanent members of this Council to maintain world peace, to uphold the Charter of the United Nations, and to protect the people we have pledged to serve.

We have elected the non-permanent members to do the same.

So far, the Security Council has failed the Syrian people.

We implore all members of the Council to act now and save the people of Syria, and their future.

As to the hallucinatory statement made by the criminal Syrian regime representative: I will repeat, I do not consider him as my legitimate counterpart. Therefore I will not give him a response.

Thank you.