Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ statement on ceasefire in Syria

The first reaction from Turkey to the one-month cease fire resolution adopted by the United Nations Security Council has come from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 
The Ministry, in its statement, on the one hand noted the satisfaction with which it greets the ceasefire resolution, and has, on the other hand, signalled that it will continue the Afrin operation despite the UN resolution in stating that it will “maintain its efforts directed at combatting the terrorist organisations that threaten Syria’s territorial integrity and political unity.”
 
The ministry’s statement reads as follows:
 
“We greet with satisfaction the resolution adopted today by the UN Security Council demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities and a humanitarian ceasefire of at least thirty days to permit access to emergency humanitarian aid and medical evacuations in the face of the worsening humanitarian situation in Syria, above all in East Ghouta.
 
Turkey has been endeavouring on all platforms from the outset for the establishment of a ceasefire, cessation of hostilities and reduction of tension in Syria and supports the steps of the international community in this direction. The six observation points that we have until now established in Idlib are a concrete manifestation of our efforts.
 
We have expressed in various of our announcements the concern that we feel over the regime’s increasing violations in East Ghouta and the worsening humanitarian situation caused by the blockade it is applying against civilians, and have called for an end to be made to these violations. We have also conveyed our concerns in this regard to Russia and Iran, which act as the regime’s guarantors, and have pointed out that the regime’s attacks on civilians and ceasefire violations have frustrated our joint efforts in de-escalation zones.
 
Enabling uninterrupted access to humanitarian aid is a requirement of international law. It is unacceptable for condemnation to hunger to be used as a weapon against the civilian population. Our support is total for the call that UN Security Council resolution number 2268, to which reference is also made in today’s resolution, be implemented in full.
 
 
Turkey will, subsequently as it has done until now, on the one hand, continue its contributions towards assuaging the suffering felt by the Syrian people and to support the efforts of the international community, above all the UN, in this context, and, on the other hand, maintain its efforts directed at ending of the dispute in which the humanitarian crisis in Syria is rooted and combatting the terrorist organisations that threaten Syria’s territorial integrity and political unity.”