Thank you, Mr. President.

I also thank Deputy Special Envoy Rochdi and Director Rajasingham for their briefings.

Unfortunately, the wider Middle East region is engulfed with multiple conflicts which result in enormous suffering for millions of people.

13-year conflict in Syria is one of most destructive of them.

The overall situation in Syria has become untenable with worsening economic, security and humanitarian conditions.

The status quo cannot continue.

We need a change of attitude from the Syrian regime to initiate genuine national consensus, dialogue and a re-energized focus on Syria from the international community, especially the key actors, to re-align positions and strengthen coordination.

All sides should realistically see the gravity of the situation in Syria as it is and take genuine steps towards a lasting settlement in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

The root causes of the conflict in Syria are political.

Therefore, revitalization of the political process with meaningful participation of the opposition as an indispensable part of forging national consensus is key.

Convening the 9th round of the Constitutional Committee under UN facilitation without further delay and with the aim of achieving tangible results is crucial to this end.

I appreciate the call by Ms. Rochdi to convene the Committee in Geneva and the invitation by the Swiss Representative very much.

Comprehensive settlement of the Syrian conflict also requires simultaneous progress in creating the conditions necessary for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of Syrian refugees to homeland.

This endeavor is particularly important. Because without a national reconciliation process that include millions of Syrians -refugees and diaspora- scattered around the world, Syria will continue to be prone to conflict.

While putting forward these efforts, maintenance of the calm on the ground is important and necessary.

In this regard, as Tūrkiye, we will continue our efforts to deescalate the situation, protect civilians and prevent new waves of displacement in Idlib De-Escalation Area in accordance with relevant Memoranda.

Earlier this month, the UN and the Syrian opposition - represented by the Syrian Interim Government - signed an Action Plan to protect children and prevent them from harm’s way in the Syrian conflict.

We welcome the continued commitment of the Syrian opposition to cooperate with the UN in taking effective measures to prevent violations against children and enhance their protection.

Mr. President,

As we have repeatedly pointed out in this Chamber, the separatist agendas of terrorist organizations operating in Syria must be thwarted as they pose the most significant threat to the territorial integrity and unity of Syria.

The PKK and its offshots including so-called “SDF” attempt to organize so-called “local elections” in northeast Syria is a clear manifestation of separatist terrorism.

Although postponed at the moment, everyone should do their part to completely remove these so-called “elections” off the table, which are contrary to the territorial integrity and unity of Syria as well as the UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

Mr. President,

As the humanitarian situation in Syria continues to drastically deteriorate, it is more important than ever to use all available means to alleviate the suffering of civilians and allocate more resources for UN humanitarian operations in the country.

In this regard, we expect the renewal of the use of Bab al-Hawa border crossing beyond 13 July for UN aid deliveries, given the majority of cross-border assistance reaches Syria through this border crossing.

Indeed, making aid delivery system more predictable should be our overall priority.

We welcome the pledges by the international community announced at the 8th Brussels Conference last month.

Swift and complete release of these commitments will be critically important.

Tūrkiye, on its part, maintains its close coordination and cooperation with all relevant UN agencies to meet humanitarian needs of the Syrians, including handling water and electricity problems in the country.

In this respect, we continue to facilitate the UN cross-border assistance and will follow up the results of the recent visit by the UNICEF delegation to the Allouk water station.

I had explained in the previous meetings the situation there.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to draw your attention to the severe water shortages that the residents of El Bab city have been suffering from.

The restoration work initiated at Ayn El Beyda water station should be completed as soon as possible.

In conclusion, Mr. President, Tūrkiye stands ready to support initiatives towards finding a viable political solution to the conflict in Syria and will continue to cooperate with relevant stakeholders and UN agencies to address humanitarian needs of the Syrian people.

I thank you.