Türkiye's UN envoy on Thursday welcomed steps taken by Syria's new authorities while stressing that eliminating the country's remaining chemical weapons must remain a top international priority.
In his address to a UN Security Council session on chemical weapons in Syria, Ahmet Yıldız said Syrians last month marked the first anniversary of their December 2024 liberation "with a sense of hope and optimism," adding: "We recognize the steps, reforms and efforts taken by the Syrian government, and welcome its commitment to stability, effective governance and the well-being of its people."
Despite what he described as encouraging developments, Yıldız warned that "much remains to be accomplished," pointing first to chemical weapons.
"Eliminating the remaining chemical weapons capabilities in Syria is not only a legal obligation under the Chemical Weapons Convention, but also a critical imperative for regional security and humanitarian priority," he said.
Noting the need for international support for Damascus to complete the task, Yıldız said: "The Syrian government cannot do this alone. The scope, complexity and technical requirements of these tasks exceed Syria's current national capabilities, operational means and financial resources."
He called on the international community to seize a "historic opportunity" to assist Syria through "sustained," long-term support.
Reiterating Türkiye's support for Syria, he said: "Türkiye is ready to do its part as it has done till now. We will continue to stand by Syria and OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) to achieve this shared objective."
On Israel's actions in the region, Yıldız said: "Israel's continued airstrikes and hybrid military activities in Syria hinder our joint efforts to this end."
He said the attacks have damaged former chemical weapons-related sites, endangered civilians, and jeopardized OPCW missions, urging that "the international community must ensure that such actions are restrained."
In August 2013, the Assad regime launched missiles carrying sarin gas, a fast-acting toxic nerve agent, on Ghouta near the capital Damascus, killing more than 1,400 people, including hundreds of children.
That October, Syria joined the OPCW.
In 2021, OPCW member states voted to suspend some of Syria's membership rights after investigations confirmed the use of chemical weapons in attacks on Al-Lataminah in Hama in 2017 and Idlib in 2018.
Last February, the new Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, met in Damascus with a delegation from the OPCW led by Director-General Fernando Arias Gonzalez.
Bashar al-Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December 2024, ending the regime of the Baath Party, which had been in power since 1963.
