Thank you, Mr. President.

It has been more than 12 years since the beginning of the conflict in Syria. However, the prospect of a lasting political solution is not on the horizon yet.

Meanwhile, the implications of the aggression in Gaza are felt in the region. Prevention of a spill-over should continue to be among our priorities.

These developments have once again reminded that status quo is not tenable in crisis contexts, including in Syria.

Therefore, international community must remain engaged to help resolve the Syrian conflict as soon as possible. There is no room for complacency in this regard.

The Security Council Resolution 2254 sets out the path towards this goal.

It is our collective responsibility to uphold the provisions of this Resolution and work towards achieving a durable political settlement of the Syrian conflict accordingly.

To this end, Türkiye remains engaged with key stakeholders, including the Syrian opposition and members of the Astana platform.

Convening the next round of the Constitutional Committee would be a positive step forward.

Similarly, it would not be possible to achieve a genuine national reconciliation by disregarding the sizeable number of Syrians abroad.

Therefore, in parallel to our efforts to revitalize the political process, it is critically important to create conditions for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of the Syrians to their country.

Countering terrorism to preserve Syria’s territorial integrity and unity must be a pillar of this three-track approach, which should proceed simultaneously.

Otherwise, our endeavors aiming at resolving this conflict would be incomplete.

To this end, we must call out the human rights violations and abuses of terrorist organizations in Syria, primarily PKK/YPG/so-called “SDF” which has caused inexplicable suffering to the Syrian people.

This terrorist organization does not have a place in Syria’s future.

As PKK/YPG’s presence in Syria across our borders and its terrorist attacks also constitute a vital threat to our national security, Türkiye is entitled to take appropriate measures against this direct and imminent threat and will continue its fight against this terrorist organization in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and relevant Security Council resolutions.

Mr. President,

Preservation of calm on the ground, including in Idlib area is important for political, humanitarian and security reasons.

Yet, we have witnessed increased attacks by the regime in this area since the beginning of October.

The resulting high number of civilian casualties is of serious concern.

We continue our efforts to deescalate the situation and ensure that ceasefire is observed.

The humanitarian situation remains dire in Syria. We are concerned that conditions will further deteriorate with the coming winter months.

Additionally, we will soon be facing another uncertainty as to whether the use of Bab al-Hawa crossing for UN’s cross border aid deliveries will continue beyond mid-January.

This unpredictability negatively affects the operations of the UN humanitarian agencies; and ultimately, it is the Syrians in need, who suffer the repercussions.

It is critically important that UN cross-border humanitarian assistance continue as long as needed and in line with its long-standing modus operandi, including monitoring and reporting.

In addition to the cross-border aid, international partners should also contribute to the stabilization efforts in the northwest to avoid new wave of migration from Syria.

To conclude, Mr President, Türkiye will continue to contribute to international efforts towards improving the humanitarian situation as well as achieving a lasting political solution in Syria.

Thank you.