Madam President,

In this critical period as we approach the 13th year of the Syrian conflict, we need realism above all else to put this conflict on a path to settlement.

It's high time for all relevant actors to do a realistic fact check of the situation.

First of all, the Syrian conflict is not over. On the contrary, it is in dire need of a political solution in line with the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people.

We continue to see examples of how problems can flare up and get out of control if the root causes are not duly addressed.

In the Syrian context, to overcome the current impasse and to revitalize the political process, two critical steps are urgently needed:

i) Syrian regime must adopt substantive and verifiable confidence-building measures in coordination with the international community.

ii) And the Constitutional Committee should be convened under the UN auspices without any further delay.

The Syrian opposition has displayed once again its commitment to the political process by accepting Special Envoy Pedersen’s proposal to hold the Committee’s next meeting at the UN Office in Nairobi for an interim period until the Committee goes back to Geneva which its authentic venue.

This positive step by the Syrian opposition must be reciprocated.

We should all join our forces so that the Constitutional Committee is not further blocked over the venue issue.

Second, if we can not put the Syrian conflict on track for solution by revitalizing the political process, the severe problems facing the country, especially the deteriorating humanitarian and deep economic crises will not disappear on their own.

The multifold challenges facing Syria in political, security, humanitarian and economic fields are interconnected and growing exponentially as the conflict lingers.

On top of these, developments in Gaza and the wider region run the risk of dragging Syria into a very dangerous course. Therefore, it is more important now to keep the situation in Syria under control.

Third, a Syria at peace with itself and in its region will only be possible through national reconciliation where the opposition is a building block of the political process and refugees are able to return to their country and contribute to its rebuilding.

With close to 7 million refugees and a further 7 million internally displaced people, Syria continues to be the world's largest displacement crisis.

This has serious repercussions for the host countries in the region including my own.

Therefore, creating conditions for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of Syrians must be a part and parcel of the settlement process.

Fourth, ongoing attacks in northwest Syria cause civilian casulties, increase tension and further deteriorate the humanitarian situation in the area.

These attacks must stop and calm must be preserved on the ground.

In accordance with relevant Memoranda, Türkiye will continue its efforts to deescalate the situation, protect civilians, prevent new waves of forced displacement, facilitate the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid and overall, ensure that ceasefire is observed in Idlib De-Escalation Area.

Fifth, UNSC Resolution 2254 begins by reaffirming strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria.

Yet, today Syria's territorial integrity and unity is under an unprecedented threat due to the separatist agenda of PKK/PYD/YPG terrorist organization and its offshoot the so-called “SDF”.

PKK/YPG’s presence in Syria right across our borders constitutes a vital threat also to Türkiye’s national security.

This terrorist organization has been using its presence in Syria to attack Türkiye.

Our fight against terrorism is resolute.

We also underline once again that further empowering terrorist organizations in Syria through capacity building will only lead to escalating cycle of violence in the country and threaten its territorial integrity.

Madam President,

We need a holistic international approach to Syria through which various aspects of these problems are addressed simultaneously.

It is clear that conditional or sequential approaches between different dimensions of the Syrian crisis have not brought desired results so far and are indeed doomed to fail.

Piecemeal policies also contradict the UNSC Resolution 2254 and can make more harm than good to the long-term stability in the region.

Madam President,

We observe that the humanitarian situation in Syria has moved down on the international agenda as the attention has recently turned to other crises, primarily Gaza.

It is however crucial to stress that this shift does not drive from an improvement in the humanitarian situation on the ground in Syria.

To the contrary, the humanitarian needs continue unabated given the overall situation in the country, with close to 17 million Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.

Earlier this month marked the anniversary of February 6th earthquakes, which caused great destruction in northwest Syria, further increasing the humanitarian needs.

The extension of the use of Bab al Hawa, Bab al Salam and Al-Rai border crossings for UN aid deliveries has provided a temporary relief for the humanitarian community.

However, negative impacts of major cuts in funding for cross-border operations are easily discernable through a sharp decrease in the number of trucks passing through these crossings.

These cuts could soon lead to significant additional challenges not only for Syria, but also for Europe and the international community as a whole.

UN cross-border humanitarian assistance remains a lifeline for the Syrians in northwest.

Therefore, it is of utmost importance to preserve all modalities of this unique and vital operation. This would also ensure to use diminished and restricted available resources more efficiently.

With regards to the reference to Allouk water station, the reasons for the problem are well-known.

Allouk station operates on electrical power coming from Derbasiyah transformer.

The electricity power disruptions from Derbasiyah transformer, which is under the control of PKK/YPG terrorist organizations, impede the proper functioning of Allouk station.

Last year in late August, a UNICEF team and representatives from the Hasakeh Water Directorate conducted various technical works at the Allouk station.

We continue to stress the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach in addressing the water and electricity problems in northern Syria.

To conclude, Madam President,

Türkiye stands ready to support initiatives towards finding a lasting political solution in Syria and addressing humanitarian needs of the Syrian people.

I thank you.