Thank you, Madam President.

We also thank Deputy to the High Representative of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, Director Ebo and Dr. Katoub for their briefings.

Madam President,

While all parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention must comply with their obligations, the 118th monthly report of the Director General of the OPCW once again demonstrates that the Syrian regime is yet to fulfill its obligations under the Convention and address all outstanding issues in relation to its initial and subsequent declarations.

We commend the independence, impartiality and professionalism upheld by the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat.

We applaud the efforts of the Technical Secretariat and the investigative bodies of the OPCW to clarify all the outstanding issue of the initial and subsequent declarations of the Syrian regime.

Yet, we remain concerned that the OPCW still can not consider the regime’s declaration accurate and complete due to identified gaps, inconsistencies, and discrepancies that remain unresolved.

The OPCW Secretariat is still waiting for a response regarding the unauthorised movement of two cylinders used in the chemical attack in Douma in 2018.

Madam President,

We take note that a delegation from the OPCW Secretariat met with the representative of the Syrian regime in Beirut on 22-23 June 2023, where they agreed on a six-month extension of the Tripartite Agreement.

Although the resumption of rounds of consultations between the Declaration Assessment Team (DAT) and the Syrian regime was also discussed at this meeting, the OPCW Secretariat has still not received the decision of the regime to proceed.

Madam President,

Türkiye strongly condemns the use of chemical weapons anywhere by anyone and under any circumstances.

We call on the Syrian regime to fully cooperate with the Technical Secretariat and the investigative bodies of the OPCW in accordance with the Convention and Security Council Resolution 2118 (2013), including by resuming rounds of consultations with the DAT and by responding to the inquries of the OPCW.

I thank you.