Seperatist PKK/YPG has no place in Syria’s future: Turkish UN envoy

Türkiye has delivered a stern warning against the persistent threat posed by the PKK/YPG terrorist organisation in Syria during a United Nations Security Council session.

The PKK/YPG represents the "biggest threat to Syria's territorial integrity and political unity" as it continues to advance a separatist and disruptive agenda in the country's northeast, said Ahmet Yildiz, Türkiye’s new permanent representative to the UN, on Thursday.

In a resolute declaration, Yildiz reiterated Türkiye's firm position that "the PKK/YPG and its separatist terrorist agenda have no place in Syria’s future."

He further condemned the terror group's exploitation of civilian facilities and its oppressive practices against the local population.

Underscoring the urgent need for concerted international efforts to address the multifaceted crisis gripping Syria, Yildiz said: "We cannot lose sight of the precarious situation in Syria in the 14th year of the conflict."

'A battlefield for other hostilities'

In his address to the Security Council, Yildiz underlined the interconnected deterioration in security, economic and humanitarian dimensions in Syria, compounded by recent dangerous escalations in the region.

"Syria remains alarmingly exposed to be a battlefield for other hostilities in the Middle East," he added.

Urging all relevant parties to refrain from actions that could exacerbate tensions, Yildiz also stressed the need to revitalise the political process in line with Security Council Resolution 2254, calling for national reconciliation to address the root causes of the conflict.

He expressed support for the Constitutional Committee as a crucial platform for negotiations between the Bashar al Assad regime and the opposition, urging its prompt convening without delays over venue issues.

He also reiterated Türkiye's support for UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen's efforts towards a political solution.

"Given the necessity to coordinate a humanitarian response to a staggering level of needs as well as according to the situation on the ground, it is important to preserve the ‘Whole of Syria’ approach, " he said.