Russian President Vladimir Putin has been urged by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to extend the authorization for cross-border deliveries of humanitarian aid into Syria.
Erdogan’s appeal came as diplomats scrambled to find a solution on Monday that could overcome Russia’s veto concerning the flow of aid into the war-ravaged country since 2014.
After telephone talks following the expiry Sunday of the mechanism, his office said, “Erdogan emphasized that he attaches importance to the extension of the cross-border mechanism in Syria.”
The Bab al-Hawa border crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border is the only way United Nations assistance can reach civilians without navigating areas controlled by Syrian regime forces.
To strike down Western proposals to keep the border crossing open for another year, Russia used its veto power on the UN Security Council.
