YouSaid · the spoken record

Keçeli

lines on the record

84

first

2022-01-05

most recent

2022-12-05

sittings or episodes

17

sources

un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

1. “Moreover, we must bear in mind that the monthly meetings serve not only as an opportunity for the Security Council to receive updates on the file, but to send a message every month to the families of the victims that the United Nations has not forgotten them and that it will do everything in its power to ensure accountability for the crimes committed, which is a prerequisite for meaningful and lasting peace in Syria. As one of Syria’s neighbours, we therefore believe that the Council’s continued regular consideration of the Syrian chemical-weapons programme is a crucial item on the monthly calendar.”

   2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9207 (2022) · source

2. “Last Wednesday, 30 November, was the Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare. It was a day to honour the innocent lives lost due to repeated chemical-weapon attacks. It is our collective responsibility not only to remember the victims but to know how many victims there are, ensure that there will be no more victims and pave the way for accountability for the use of chemical weapons in Syria. The use of chemical weapons is unacceptable in any circumstances. Impunity for those who deployed chemical weapons is unacceptable. The lack of progress on the file underlines the Security Council’s failure to fulfil its mandate. Questioning the cycle of these meetings will not bring justice or accountability. The OPCW needs the support of the Council, not discouragement.”

   2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9207 (2022) · source

3. “Furthermore, the OPCW Technical Secretariat is still awaiting responses to its inquiries regarding the regime’s chemical-weapon production facilities and the unauthorized movement of chlorine cylinders used in the attack in Douma in 2018. We call on the Syrian regime to fully cooperate with the Technical Secretariat and provide the necessary information, in line with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. The current investigations by the OPCW’s Fact-Finding Mission and Investigation and Identification Team will be critical if we are to establish the truth about the use of chemical weapons in Syria. We look forward to the completion of the ongoing investigations, in particular the Investigation and Identification Team’s next report on the Douma attack of 2018.”

   2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9207 (2022) · source

4. “Mr. Keçeli (Türkiye): We thank High Representative Nakamitsu for her briefing. We also commend the independence, impartiality and utmost professionalism that the Technical Secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) continues to uphold. The most recent report of the OPCW Director- General (see S/2022/897) shows that the outstanding issues in relation to the Syrian regime’s initial and subsequent declarations persist. The OPCW still cannot consider those declarations accurate and complete. Moreover, the regime is obstructing the work of the Declaration Assessment Team in Syria by not issuing visas and by placing conditions on meeting with it in Beirut.”

   2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9207 (2022) · source

5. “We cannot change the past, but we have the power to change the course of the future for the people of Syria. We cannot look away now — and we must continue to hold monthly meetings on this file.”

   2022-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9184 (2022) · source

6. “We call on the Syrian regime to fully cooperate with the OPCW Technical Secretariat and provide the necessary information, as required under the Chemical Weapons Convention. The current investigations by the Fact-Finding Mission and the IIT are important to establish the truth about the use of chemical weapons in Syria. We look forward to the completion of ongoing investigations, in particular the next IIT report on the 2018 attack in Douma. It is our collective responsibility to ensure accountability for the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Ending impunity is also imperative to honouring the hundreds of innocent lives lost as a result of the chemical-weapon attacks perpetrated during the conflict in Syria. Genuine political reconciliation in the country will be possible only through justice and accountability.”

   2022-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9184 (2022) · source

7. “Perhaps the lack of any progress calls for more, and not fewer, regular meetings. The previous report of the OPCW Director- General (see S/2022/727, annex) demonstrates that the outstanding issues related to the Syrian regime’s initial and subsequent declarations persist. The gaps, discrepancies and inconsistencies in the chemical weapons declaration of the Al-Assad regime continue. Therefore, the OPCW cannot consider the declaration as accurate or complete. The regime is obstructing the work of the Investigation and Identification Team (ITT) by not issuing visas. Furthermore, the OPCW Technical Secretariat still awaits a response to its inquiries on the regime’s chemical weapons production facilities and the chlorine cylinders used in the attack in Douma in 2018.”

   2022-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9184 (2022) · source

8. “Mr. Keçeli (Türkiye): We would like to thank High Representative Nakamitsu for her briefing and commend the impartiality, independence and professionalism of the Technical Secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). I would also like to note that, as a country neighbouring Syria, Türkiye believes in the importance and need for these monthly meetings. Every month, the Security Council dedicates days to open debates on topics on which the mandate of the Council is questionable. As a country neighbouring Syria, Türkiye therefore believes that the Council can spare approximately 80 minutes every month to discuss a topic that is directly related to the maintenance of international peace and security. It has been said that there has been no progress on this file.”

   2022-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9184 (2022) · source

9. “We stand firmly against any attempt that aims to discredit the valuable work of the OPCW Technical Secretariat and its investigative bodies. It is our collective responsibility to ensure accountability for the chemical weapons used in Syria. Genuine political reconciliation in Syria will be possible only through justice and accountability, and unity in the Council is essential for the realization of that goal. We owe it to the countless victims that have suffered from the atrocities committed by the Al-Assad regime. The meeting rose at 4.10 p.m.”

   2022-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9141 (2022) · source

10. “We call on the Syrian regime to fully cooperate with the OPCW Technical Secretariat and provide the necessary information required under the Chemical Weapons Convention. In that regard, issuing visas to the members of the Declaration Assessment Team remains an urgent priority. We appreciate the OPCW Director-General’s efforts to establish a direct line of contact in order to resolve the outstanding issues. We also commend the work of the Fact-Finding Mission and the Investigation and Identification Team, which is essentially in unearthing the truth and holding the perpetrators of chemical-weapon attacks to account. We look forward to the conclusion of the ongoing investigations and the issuance of the next reports of the FFM and the IIT.”

    2022-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9141 (2022) · source

11. “Mr. Keçeli (Türkiye): We would like to thank High Representative Nakamitsu and her team for the briefing. We are grateful for their efforts. The Al-Assad regime’s failure to respect its international obligations is well documented in the reports of the Joint Investigative Mechanism, as well as of the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) and the Investigation and Identification Team (IIT). The latest monthly report (see S/2022/658) of the Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirms once again that no progress has been made on any of the outstanding issues regarding the regime’s chemical weapons declaration. In that regard, the identified gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies in that declaration remain unresolved, and hence the declaration cannot be considered accurate and complete.”

    2022-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9141 (2022) · source

12. “We hope that our diplomatic representation is safe in Iraq, because that is how we can achieve peace and better bilateral relations — through diplomacy.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9100 (2022) · source

13. “Mr. Keçeli (Türkiye): I apologize for taking the floor again, but I wanted to bring to the attention of Security Council a new development. It is with great sorrow that I inform the Security Council of a recent development on the ground in Iraq. A few minutes ago, we received notice that four mortars had been deployed near the Consulate General of Türkiye in Mosul, Iraq. That is yet another flagrant attack and yet another example of the lack of control by the Iraqi authorities over their own territory. We once again call on all Iraqi authorities to avoid escalatory language and to focus on cooperation, cooperating against all terrorist organizations. The initial reports say that no one was hurt, but, as I said in my statement, three years ago we lost a diplomat in Erbil.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9100 (2022) · source

14. “We want Iraq to be ruled by responsible politicians who are ready to fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We would like to express our condolences once again to our brothers and sisters in Iraq. We grieve with them for the senseless loss of civilian life.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9100 (2022) · source

15. “We want all of our brothers and sisters in Iraq to know that we do not want our bilateral relations to suffer as a result of the domestic political calculations of certain groups in Iraq. Today my country is even more committed to working together with the people of Iraq for greater peace and understanding. Our unwavering support to our neighbours in their quest for stability and security will never fade. The Iraqi people know very well what it means to lose a loved one to terrorism. They fought valiantly against Da’esh. The people of Iraq have always shown solidarity with us in our fight against the PKK. We want to see the same solidarity and responsible behaviour from Iraqi officials. As much as we respect the security of Iraq, we expect the same respect from the Iraqi authorities. That must be a mutual effort.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9100 (2022) · source

16. “Türkiye and Iraq will continue to be neighbours and friends. We do not want to see an Iraq fragmented over ethnic and sectarian lines. We strongly support the strengthening of Iraq’s institutions and national identity. We hope for the formation of a representative and functioning Government with an effective economic and reconstruction agenda. We want Iraq to be ruled by politicians whose loyalty is to their own flag and to their own people, not to personal interests, ambitions, sectarian identities or outside Powers. However, as recent developments have demonstrated, there are efforts by some circles to unite different political groups around anti-Türkiye rhetoric. That is a very dangerous game to play.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9100 (2022) · source

17. “We cannot allow the territory along our border to become a base to stage attacks against us. No member of the Council would allow that. The Government of Iraq would not allow that, nor should it. In the absence of Iraq’s ability and willingness to deal with the presence of terrorist organizations in its own country, we are obliged to take the appropriate measures, just as any member of the Council would do. We will continue to exercise our inherent right to self-defence as outlined in Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, and we will act within the context of responsibility attributed by the relevant Security Council resolutions to Member States in the fight against terrorism. In doing so, we will continue to prioritize the protection of civilians, civilian infrastructure, historical and cultural property and the environment.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9100 (2022) · source

18. “It is the obligation of the Iraqi authorities, under both international law and article 7 of the Iraqi Constitution, to stop the PKK from using the territory of Iraq. Nevertheless, Iraq has so far proven to be either unable or unwilling to fight the terrorists. If a country cannot control its own territory, is unwilling to fight against terrorists and cannot stop terrorists from using its territory to kill the citizens of a neighbouring State, then it is siding, either directly or indirectly, with the terrorists. It is that simple. A State cannot castigate its neighbour for using its right to self-defence. In the first six months of this year, 339 attacks were conducted by the PKK against my country. Over the past five years, there have been nearly 1,500 attacks.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9100 (2022) · source

19. “Fuad Hussein, could not even call the PKK what it is: a terrorist organization. We reject and strongly condemn the representation of the PKK as an innocent group, which is an affront to the more than 40,000 people the PKK has killed and their families. That is shameful. How many more people have to die before Iraqi politicians can call the PKK a terrorist organization? We would like all members of the Council to note that point as an example of the outrageous refusal of certain Iraqi politicians to condemn terrorism. There is also the allegation that the PKK has increased its presence in Iraq since 2013. We completely reject that baseless claim. The PKK has been present in Iraq since the 1980s. The reasons that the PKK has found refuge in Iraq since the 1980s are well known to everyone, including the Foreign Minister himself.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9100 (2022) · source

20. “The forces of the Iraqi federal Government, the Peshmerga, and even the civilian Iraqi authorities, are denied access to that camp. It serves as a logistics hub and training ground for the terrorist organization. In July 2019, a Türkish diplomat was assassinated in Erbil by a regular visitor to Makhmour camp. Despite our repeated requests, the perpetrators of that attack have not been extradited to Türkiye. Over the past 40 years, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people in my country. It is worth mentioning that the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and many other countries have designated the PKK as a terrorist organization. Yet, here in this Chamber, just a few minutes ago, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iraq, His Excellency Mr.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9100 (2022) · source

21. “The truth is that the Iraqi Government cannot exercise effective sovereignty over certain parts of its territory in the north. We estimate that the PKK controls an area of at least 10,000 square kilometres in Iraq. Nearly 800 villages have been forcibly evacuated by the PKK, and all of those spots have become safe havens for the terrorists. In Sinjar, for instance, the Iraqi Government has no authority whatsoever throughout the entire city. The Sinjar Agreement was signed in the presence of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, yet it is still not being implemented. Yazidis are not allowed to return, and the PKK presence in Sinjar is still being tolerated. Makhmour camp is yet another example. That place lost its refugee camp status long ago.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9100 (2022) · source

22. “Exercising full control over territory, a monopoly on the use of force, raising a flag and controlling taxation are some of the functions of having and exercising sovereignty. If those functions are not under the control of the State, how can we talk about the exercise of sovereignty? As we speak, the flags of the PKK terrorist organization are raised in certain parts of northern Iraq — not the flags of the federal Government or of the Kurdistan Regional Government. Who has control over checkpoints in certain parts of northern Iraq? The PKK terrorists — not the federal Government or the Kurdistan Regional Government. Who illegitimately taxes the local people? The PKK terrorist organization — not the local Government or the Kurdistan Regional Government. Those are but a few examples.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9100 (2022) · source

23. “However, other Iraqi officials chose escalation; instead of diplomacy and cooperation, they chose to spread harmful messages through the media, while provoking the Iraqi public and utilizing that information to drive a wedge between the Türkish and Iraqi people. Therefore, we believe that today’s meeting is very important for setting the record straight, not only with members of the Council but also with our brothers and sisters in Iraq. My country has always maintained its strong support for Iraq’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, stability and prosperity. Any claims to the contrary are false and ill-intended. Let us make it very clear: the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq are breached by terrorist organizations, not by Türkiye.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9100 (2022) · source

24. “On 22 August last year, two Iraqi tourists were killed in the same area. Their car was attacked. Immediately after the incident, there was a campaign to blame my country for what had happened. However, it was eventually revealed that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist organization was responsible for the attack. The reactions of the Iraqi authorities to our calls for cooperation vary according to their political affiliation. Some were on the same page as we were — they wanted to find out the truth. They noted that they believed in the importance of bilateral relations between the two countries; we wish to thank those Iraqi authorities for their responsible approach to accountability.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9100 (2022) · source

25. “Mr. Keçeli (Türkiye): We would like to once again express our condolences to the people and the Government of Iraq. Our hearts and prayers are with the families of the victims. We share their sorrow and wish the injured a swift recovery. We would like to inform the Security Council that, immediately after the attack, we were in touch with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, and a few hours later the Türkish Ministry for Foreign Affairs issued a statement. We made it clear that Türkiye is ready to take all steps to unveil the truth. In Ankara, Baghdad and Erbil, our officials have conveyed the same message at various levels, rejecting the allegations and expressing their support for Iraqi authorities in their investigations. They also recalled that it was not the first smear campaign against my country.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9100 (2022) · source

26. “For its part, my country will continue to support UNRWA’s vital work, both financially and politically. That includes strong support for the General Assembly’s renewal of the Agency’s mandate this autumn. The continuation of UNRWA’s lifeline operations is essential. Türkiye will continue to support all efforts aimed at finding a comprehensive and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9099Resumption1 (2022) · source

27. “Millions of Palestinian refugees rely on the life-saving assistance of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). As a member of UNRWA’s Advisory Commission and Chair of the Working Group on the Financing of UNRWA since its establishment, we were pleased to once again see strong support for UNRWA and its crucial mandate at last month’s pledging conference. But the international community has a responsibility to match that strong political support with sufficient, sustained and predictable funding for the Agency. The projected funding gap of approximately $100 million is concerning. We strongly encourage all members to fulfil their pledges, provide financial support to the Agency and redouble their efforts to enable UNRWA to effectively fulfil its mandate.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9099Resumption1 (2022) · source

28. “They are in contravention of international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions. The establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, is the only viable solution to this conflict. There are no interim solutions — whether economic incentives or humanitarian assistance — that can resolve this conflict. Returning to a political path and accelerating efforts to revitalize the peace process is an urgent necessity. The members of the Middle East Quartet have a special responsibility in that regard. The international community cannot wait for a new escalation in the region to address the root causes of the conflict. The United Nations should also play the critical roles it has assumed, including as a member of the Quartet.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9099Resumption1 (2022) · source

29. “Mr. Keçeli (Türkiye): We would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s open debate, and we welcome the briefing by the Deputy Special Coordinator. We remain concerned about the lack of progress towards the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Equally frustrating is the lack of interest on the part of the international community to find a just, lasting and comprehensive solution to that long-standing conflict on the United Nations agenda. The status quo in the occupied Palestinian territory is simply unsustainable. Illegal settlements, forced evictions, the use of disproportionate force against civilians, the attempts to erode the status of Jerusalem and the blockade in Gaza — all of those unilateral actions in the occupied territories curtail the fundamental rights and freedoms of Palestinians.”

    2022-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9099Resumption1 (2022) · source

30. “This is key to prevent the recurrence of chemical-weapons use, be it in Syria or elsewhere in the world. Ending impunity is critical if we are to achieve peace in Syria.”

    2022-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9097 (2022) · source

31. “We await the results of the further investigations carried out by the IIT with regard to those attacks for the identification of the perpetrators. Let us reiterate that the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere and under any circumstances is a grave violation of international law. We strongly condemn the repeated and well-documented use of chemical weapons by the Al-Assad regime against its own people. It is our collective responsibility to ensure accountability for the crimes committed in Syria. We owe this to the victims. It is high time that the members of the Security Council left their political differences behind and acted in accordance with international law. The Syrian regime must be urged to cooperate with the OPCW without any further delay.”

    2022-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9097 (2022) · source

32. “The regime continues to use delaying tactics to avoid meeting with the OPCW Declaration Assessment Team (DAT) by refusing to issue a visa to one team member and setting the exclusion of the same DAT expert as a condition for holding the next round of consultations. We expect concrete action from the Security Council to ensure that the regime fully cooperates with the DAT and immediately declares the full extent of its chemical-weapons programme to the OPCW. The current investigations by the Fact-finding Mission in Syria (FFM), and the Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) are important to establishing the truth about the chemical weapons used in Syria. We note the reports of the FFM establishing the use of chemicals as weapons in in Marea on 1 September 2015 and in Kafr Zeita on 1 October 2016.”

    2022-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9097 (2022) · source

33. “Mr. Keçeli (Türkiye): We thank High Representative Nakamitsu for her briefing, and we commend the independence, professionalism and impartiality of the Technical Secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The latest report of the OPCW Director-General (see S/2022/530) shows that the outstanding issues in relation to the Syrian regime’s initial and subsequent declarations persist. The OPCW Secretariat is still waiting for responses to its enquiries sent to the regime with regard to its chemical-weapon production facilities and chlorine cylinders used in the attack in Douma in 2018.”

    2022-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9097 (2022) · source

34. “We would also like put on the record our country’s stance concerning the incorrect references in the report to my country’s counter-terrorism operations in Syria and Iraq. All those operations are conducted as part of Türkiye’s legitimate right to self-defence, in full compliance with international law and international humanitarian law and in line with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. Those operations exclusively target terrorists, with the utmost attention and care being devoted to avoid causing any harm to civilians or civilian infrastructure. My country supports the United Nations agenda addressing the situation of children in armed conflict, and we will continue to work closely with the Office of the Special Representative to ensure that all the information to date is correct and complete.”

    2022-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9096Resumption1 (2022) · source

35. “We have shared with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-Genera1 evidence of those violations. In their attempt to spread their separatist ideology, the PKK/YPG and affiliated elements also use tactics such as imposing arbitrary school curricula and arresting, dismissing or mistreating teachers who oppose them. While we support United Nations efforts to document the crimes of the PKK/PYD/YPG and other terrorist groups, we must stress the need to demonstrate a unified front against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The belief that a terrorist organization would be bound by commitments under an international legal framework is an illusion.”

    2022-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9096Resumption1 (2022) · source

36. “The well-documented crimes of the terrorist organization the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its Syrian branch, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), continue to be a source of grave concern. The so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the YPG/Women’s Protection Units, the Internal Security Forces, the Kurdish Revolutionary Youth, the Patriotic RevolutionaryYouth Movement and the so- called self-administration mentioned in the report are all elements of one and the same terrorist organization: the PKK/YPG. In nearly 2,000 attacks in the past two years, PKK/PYD/YPG have killed almost 400 Syrian civilians, including children. In addition, the PKK/ YPG and the so-called SDF continue to abduct children and forcibly impose military training in camps.”

    2022-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9096Resumption1 (2022) · source

37. “My country fully subscribes to the Secretary-General’s appeal to the countries concerned to take steps towards the voluntary repatriation of children, including those with alleged links to Da’esh. The report of Secretary-General (S/2022/493) reveals once again that the plight of children continues unabated in many parts of the world. As for Syria, the destructive war that the Al-Assad regime has waged against the country’s own people has had a staggering impact on children and has left the lives and the future of a generation of Syrian children hanging by a thread. The crimes of the regime are not the only threats that the children of Syria face.”

    2022-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9096Resumption1 (2022) · source

38. “Mr. Keçeli (Türkiye): We would like to thank you, Sir, for convening today’s open debate, and we commend the United Nations work in taking forward the children and armed conflict agenda. Yet we need to step up our efforts to ensure that United Nations country task forces on monitoring and reporting on grave violations against children be provided with the adequate resources to fulfil their mandates. We concur with the call of the Secretary- General to ensure that child-protection provisions and capacities are included in all relevant mandates of United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions. In addition, we see the repatriation and reintegration of children as important aspects of that agenda.”

    2022-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9096Resumption1 (2022) · source

39. “We need a renewed and principled approach to protecting civilians in conflict. The international community and the Security Council must step up. Unhindered humanitarian access is a core element of protecting civilians in conflict and an essential element of the maintenance of international peace stability. In that context, we renew our call for the extension of the mandate of United Nations cross-border humanitarian operations to Syria. We hope that, by the time of next year’s open debate on the protection of civilians, some of the 100 million people who have been forcibly displaced will have returned home and restarted their lives in safety. We also hope that the perpetrators of all attacks against civilians will have been brought to justice and held accountable for their actions.”

    2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042 (2022) · source

40. “We also wish to remind the Security Council once again of the atrocities committed by the terrorist organization Kurdistan Workers’ Party/People’s Protection Units and its offshoot, the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces, for it bears repeating. They attacked Al-Shifa hospital in Afrin. They continue to abduct and forcibly recruit children in Syria. They release Da’esh detainees for their own financial gain. They indiscriminately attack civilian areas, using mortar shelling, rocket launchers and car bombs. They prevent civilians, including Kurds and Yazidis, from returning home. They have even cut off electrical power in Al-Dirbasiyah, disrupting the Allouk water station. Those who support terrorist organizations, including in Syria, must cease their association with immediate effect. It is clear that the status quo will not suffice.”

    2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042 (2022) · source

41. “Attacks on Ukrainian civilians have resulted in the disruption of agricultural and food supply chains, showing the world that an attack against one civilian is indeed an attack against all of humankind. And of course, the war in Syria rages on. Just last month, footage from 2013 provided detailed evidence of horrific crimes committed against civilians in the Tadamon neighbourhood of Damascus. In Idlib, civilians and civilian infrastructure are routinely targeted by the regime and its backers. In Al-Atarib, a hospital was attacked, killing civilians and cutting off vital health-care services for the community. The attack on the Arshani pumping station interrupted access to water for a quarter of a million civilians. The regime deliberately deprives people in the Al-Bab region of drinking water and water for agriculture.”

    2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042 (2022) · source

42. “Mr. Keçeli (Turkey): At the outset, we wish to express our condolences to the families of the victims of the shooting that took place yesterday in Texas. We thank you, Madam President, for convening this annual open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. It is indeed a sorry reflection of the global protection crisis that we must continue to speak on this most basic tenet of international law. Today 100 million people are on the move, forcibly displaced from their homes. They are innocent civilians fleeing persecution and conflict. We have seen mass graves in Tarhuna, Libya; starvation used as a weapon of war in Yemen; and violence perpetrated by security forces since the coup in Myanmar. The war in Ukraine has resulted in one of the starkest humanitarian crises of our time.”

    2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042 (2022) · source

43. “We strongly condemn the repeated and well-documented use of chemical weapons by the Al-Assad regime against its own people. It is our collective responsibility to ensure accountability for this heinous crime committed in Syria. We owe this to the victims. Council members must leave their political differences behind and act in accordance with humanitarian law. Ending impunity is a prerequisite to achieving peace in Syria. The Council must be unified in urging the regime to cooperate with the OPCW without any further delay. This is key to preventing the recurrence of chemical-weapons use, be it in Syria or elsewhere in the world.”

    2022-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9026 (2022) · source

44. “We expect concrete action from the Council to ensure that the regime fully cooperates with the DAT and immediately declares the full extent of its chemical-weapons programme to the OPCW. The current investigations by the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) and the Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) are important to establishing the truth about chemical-weapons use in Syria. Turkey takes note of the reports of the FFM establishing the use of chemical weapons in Marea on 1 September 2015 and in Kafr Zeita on 1 October 2016. We await the results of the further investigations carried out by the IIT on those attacks for the identification of the perpetrators. The use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere and under any circumstances is a grave violation of international law.”

    2022-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9026 (2022) · source

45. “Mr. Keçeli (Turkey): We also thank High Representative Nakamitsu and her team for her briefing, for their tireless efforts and for their commitment to justice and international law. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) published the 102nd report of its Director-General last month. The report demonstrates that the outstanding issues relating to the Syrian regime’s initial declaration persist. The OPCW Secretariat is still waiting for responses to enquiries it sent to the regime in October 2020 and July 2021 in relation to its chemical weapons, production facilities and chlorine cylinders used in the attack in Douma in 2018. The regime is using delaying tactics not to meet with the Declaration Assessment Team (DAT).”

    2022-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9026 (2022) · source

46. “Turkey has been doing more than its share for years now, providing temporary protection to close to 4 million Syrians and serving as the single transit point for United Nations cross-border humanitarian aid to Syria. We will continue to facilitate cross-line aid deliveries as well. Yet, given the extremely precarious humanitarian situation growing worse every day, there is no alternative to cross-border aid in scope and size. Above all, we need the international community to act in a principled and responsive manner to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Syria and to produce lasting solutions. As usual, will not be answering the lies that we just had to hear from the representative of the Syrian regime.”

    2022-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9003 (2022) · source

47. “We would like to take this opportunity to once again put on record that our request for a United Nations investigation into the attack on Al-Shifa hospital by the PKK/YPG terrorist organization remains unanswered to this day. We cannot allow the humanitarian situation in Syria to be overshadowed by other new or protracted humanitarian crises. The international community has an obligation to compensate for the recent decrease in humanitarian financing for the Syrian crisis. This is necessary in order to improve the conditions of the millions of displaced people living under difficult circumstances, especially in Idlib, and to avoid a new humanitarian catastrophe. The burden on the shoulders of the neighbouring countries should also not be forgotten.”

    2022-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9003 (2022) · source

48. “We have on countless occasions highlighted the mistake of subcontracting the fight against Da’esh to another terrorist organization, namely, the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), dominated by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party/People’s Protection Units (PKK/YPG). We invite countries that support the PKK/YPG-led SDF to see the ethnic cleansing and the war crimes committed by that terrorist organization in northern Syria. Ignoring these facts is incompatible with any humanitarian value. It is also a flagrant contradiction and inconsistency in the fight against terrorism. This approach will in no way bring stability to the east of the Euphrates.”

    2022-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9003 (2022) · source

49. “Let us also underline that there can be no place for illegitimate formations and terrorist elements in the political process. It is absolutely clear that this would be rejected by the Syrian people. Ceasefire violations in Idlib and an interruption of the delivery of international humanitarian aid to this region would unleash a new humanitarian crisis and obstruct any efforts for a durable settlement of this crisis. Let us reiterate that the search for a military solution is a futile adventure and will have severe consequences, first and foremost, for the regime itself. Turkey will continue its fight against terrorism and separatism in Syria with utmost determination. Owing to its persistent wrongdoings and ill-advised strategies, Da’esh remains a greater threat to neighbouring countries than anyone else.”

    2022-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9003 (2022) · source

50. “The only way to end this bloodshed in Syria is an inclusive political settlement on the basis of resolution 2254 (2015). The Constitutional Committee is the only mechanism put in place to advance the political track, yet it has been subject to the regime’s delaying tactics and obstructions while the Syrian opposition has displayed strong commitment throughout the process. The seventh round of the Constitutional Committee is being held this week and must produce tangible results this time. These meetings should also be held more frequently and in a results-oriented manner. We will continue to support the efforts of Special Envoy Pedersen for a political solution. It is critical that additional initiatives align with the letter and spirit of resolution 2254 (2015) and support its implementation.”

    2022-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9003 (2022) · source