38th Session of the Human Rights Council
Interactive Dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on Syria
(26 June 2018)
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Statement by Turkey
Ambassador Naci Koru, Permanent Representative


Mr. President,

[Firstly, we firmly reject the baseless allegations made by the Syrian regime’s representative.]

We thank the members of the CoI for their presentation today.

We condemn that the conflict in Syria continues in its eight year with its devastating impact on the Syrian people. As the report of the CoI lays out the regime has targeted its own people by different ways and means as a method of combat. With medieval tactics such as “starve or surrender” during the horrendous besiegement of Eastern Ghouta, the regime has shown that it has no respect to one single life. Widespread and systematic bombardments, attacks against civilian infrastructure and hospitals as well as the denial of food and medicine show that the regime has perpetrated crimes against humanity and war crimes. Allegations of the use of chemical weapons by the regime portray an even grimmer picture. Turkey would like to underline that the repetition of the events like in Eastern Ghouta elsewhere in Syria would further deteriorate the situation on the ground and need to be prevented.

The forced displacement of nearly 140.000 civilians from Eastern Ghouta, constitutes yet another example of the regimes strategy of demographic reingeenering throughout the country. In that regard, we also deplore Law Number 10/2018, which has to be repelled.

We strongly believe that perpetrators of human rights violations need to be brought to justice, so that impunity does not prevail and the Syrian peoples demand for justice can be fulfilled. Turkey is convinced that success in Syria can only be achieved through a genuine political transition that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people. Turkey on its part, will continue its efforts to contribute to ending the Syrian conflict through a credible political solution.

I thank you.