Turkey strongly condemns chemical attack in Syria
In a statement on Sunday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the chemical attack, which caused the death of at least 40 civilians in Douma town of Syria's Eastern Ghouta.
- Türkiye
- Anadolu Agency
- Published Date: 12:00 | 08 April 2018
- Modified Date: 04:44 | 08 April 2018
Turkey on Sunday strongly condemned Saturday's chemical attack in Syria's Eastern Ghouta region that killed 40 civilians.
In a statement, Turkish Foreign Ministry said there is a "strong suspicion" that Bashar al-Assad regime, whose record of using chemical weapons is well known by the international community, carried out the chemical attack.
According to local civil defense agency White Helmets, Assad regime forces struck targets in the Damascus suburb's Douma district in a midnight attack using poison gas that left at least 40 civilians dead.
The chemical attack shows that UN Security Council's Resolutions No. 2118, 2209, 2235 "are once again disregarded," according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
On Feb. 24, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2401 which called for a month-long cease-fire in Syria-especially in Eastern Ghouta -- to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Despite the resolution, the regime and its allies early this month launched a major ground offensive backed by Russian air power aimed at capturing opposition-held parts of Eastern Ghouta.
Home to some 400,000 people, the suburb has remained the target of a crippling regime siege for the last five years.
Earlier this month, a UN commission of inquiry released a report accusing the regime of committing war crimes in Eastern Ghouta, including the use of chemical weapons against civilians.