Thank you, Mr. President.

I also thank Special Envoy Pedersen and Director Rajasingham for their comprehensive briefings. I agree with almost all points.

Syria may not feature high on the international agenda these days due to other pressing crises.

Yet, the humanitarian landscape in the country is nothing short of catastrophic.

A staggering 16,7 million people - over 70% of the population - are in need of humanitarian aid.

This is a direct result of the deadlock in bringing a political settlement to the conflict.

As millions of innocent people continue to pay the price of a devastation that they have not created, it is essential that their humanitarian needs are met.

This is the least international community can and must do.

Yet, despite repeated calls by the OCHA, the UN’s Humanitarian Response Plan for Syria is facing a critical funding shortfall.

It should not be forgotten that cuts in international humanitarian finance mean less food on the table, less hygiene, less health and less protection for millions of women, children, the elderly, the disabled and the displaced.

It also means larger risks to regional stability in an already extremely troublesome atmosphere.

Millions who live in northwest Syria in particular are among the most vulnerable, and depend on the life-saving cross border aid for survival.

Therefore, uninterrupted delivery of UN’s cross border humanitarian assistance is critical.

And Türkiye does its best for its continuity.

We also expect the continued use of all available border crossings for this purpose in a predictable and sustainable way.

Mr. President,

A dangerous result of the ongoing conflict in Syria is the presence of terrorist organizations which exploit the turmoil in the country to create space for their separatist objectives.

Today, PKK/YPG/so-called “SDF” terrorist organization remains a major destabilizing factor on the ground.

In addition to its ongoing oppression of the local population and violations of all sorts for years, PKK’s offshoot is now impeding the delivery of UN humanitarian aid to those in need in Tell Abyad and Rasulayn.

This terrorist organization’s attempts to announce a so-called “Social Covenant” and organize so-called “local elections” in northeast Syria constitute a direct threat to the unity and territorial integrity of Syria and contravene the letter and spirit of the Security Council Resolution 2254.

All actors must see these facts and stop any support to this terrorist organization.

Mr. President,

The 13-year conflict in Syria has inflicted massive destruction and severe hardships on the country and its people.

The security, economic and humanitarian situation are all continuously worsening.

The only way out this conflict is a comprehensive political solution in line with Security Council
Resolution 2254.

For this reason, we consider the resumption of the meetings of the Constitutional Committee as an essential step.

We call on all relevant actors to desist from pursuing single dimensional policies and obstructions and to adopt a holistic approach and focus on reinvigorating the UN facilitated political process.

Thank you, Mr. President and I wish everyone a successful high-level week.