Thank you, Madam President,

I would like to thank Mr. Deputy High Representative, Mr. Moore and Mr. Philips for their comprehensive briefing.

Madam President,

Over the past decade, we have all witnessed how the instability generated by the former regime reverberated far beyond Syria’s borders. The violent repression of the Syrian people and the policies pursued during the Assad era have left deep scars across the country and the region.

Among the most painful legacies of that period is the chemical weapons file, which remains a dark reminder of the grave atrocities committed during the conflict.

Addressing this legacy is essential not only for Syria’s recovery but also for regional and international security.

In the new period following December 2024, the steps taken by the Syrian Government to engage on this issue are encouraging. We acknowledge the progress made on the ground thanks to Syria’s determination and the professionalism of the OPCW Technical Secretariat and the team, including the visit of numerous sites, the conduct of interviews, and the collection of samples.

With respect to the incident in Aleppo concerning the handling of the cylinders that were discovered, we wish to underline the importance of effective communication between Syria and the Secretariat.

We are also encouraged by the Syrian authorities’ commitment to ensuring accountability for chemical weapons attacks.

In this regard, we take note of the fifth report of the Investigation and Identification Team on the chemical attack in Kafr Zeita in 2016, which concludes that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a Syrian Arab Air Force helicopter from the Assad era dropped a chlorine cylinder that injured 35 people. We also note that this report marks the first instance of cooperation by the Syrian authorities with the Investigation and Identification Team since 8 December 2024.

Madam President,

We all recognize that the chemical weapons file is highly technical and operationally complex. After years of concealment, significant information gaps remain regarding the former chemical weapons programme. These gaps inevitably complicate verification efforts and operational planning.

In this context, the need to strengthen national institutional capacity in Syria to address the chemical weapons file is evident. Progress may not be immediate; however, gradual, practical and well-coordinated cooperation with Syria, aligned with the realities on the ground, can yield meaningful and sustainable results.

Türkiye remains committed to contributing to Syrian-led international efforts aimed at strengthening Syria’s preparedness and technical capacity to address chemical weapons-related challenges in line with OPCW standards.

In this regard, we recently hosted a technical workshop in Ankara, bringing together Syrian authorities involved, and a group of countries and their experts as well as the OPCW Secretariat to identify capacity gaps and discuss destruction whether deliberate or expedited.

Madam President,

The role of the OPCW in every stage remains important. We believe that a constructive and pragmatic approach will best serve our shared objective of achieving tangible progress on the ground. Engagement should therefore remain supportive, focused on practical outcomes and on gradually strengthening national institutional capacity.

At the same time, we must ensure that the already challenging working conditions on the ground are not further undermined by unwarranted acts of aggression from certain countries that risk complicating ongoing efforts, namely Israel.

In closing, Türkiye reiterates its support for Syrian-led and Syrian-owned initiatives to identify, secure, declare and destroy chemical weapons-related materials in cooperation with the OPCW and other relevant stakeholders.

We also encourage all Member States to support these efforts so that together we can advance toward our shared objective of a region free of chemical weapons.

Thank you very much.