Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed that the international community cannot let the Syrian crisis drag on for another 10 years, in his address to the 76th UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
In his address to the UNGA, the Turkish President stated that the humanitarian drama in Syria has unfolded over the course of an entire decade before the eyes of the world.
Erdoğan announced, “We need to show a stronger will to find a political solution to the problem, based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254, and in a way that will meet the expectations of the Syrian people.”
The longstanding crisis has caused the death of hundreds of thousands of people and the displacement of millions of others since 2011, he said.
Turkey has not only taken in nearly 4 million Syrians, but also sent its troops into battle against terror groups in the region, according to Turkish President Erdoğan’s statement. He further expressed that these groups “have drowned the region in blood and tears.”
Syria has been mired in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected and inhumane ferocity.
Turning to the terror threat in Syria, “Making any distinction between terrorist organizations in the region and using them as subcontractors is unacceptable,” Erdogan highlighted.
Elsewhere, the Turkish President said his country has neither the means nor patience to meet new immigration waves, while also referencing to the events in Afghanistan.
Several days of speeches from heads of state and governments began on Tuesday, as the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) kicked off in New York. Issues such as climate change, COVID-19, and security are set to dominate discussions during the sessions.
