Calls began to rise from the United Nations and humanitarian organizations to warn of a "humanitarian catastrophe" in the event that the UN mandate for the transfer of aid to Syria is not extended. This coincides with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement that it is possible to hold a meeting that includes the presidents of Turkey, Russia and Syria, "based on developments." ".
On the tenth of January, the period of the UN mandate for the transfer of aid to Syria through the "Bab Al-Hawa" crossing on the border with Turkey ends.
The Security Council renewed the aid mechanism on July 12 for a period of 6 months only under Russian opposition pressure, unlike previous times when the mechanism was extended for a year.
With the expiry of the UN mandate approaching, fears of not renewing it and the consequences of that began to grow again. Attention was once again directed to the Security Council, and calls escalated for the approval of a new extension.
Calls from international and humanitarian organizations escalated, warning of a humanitarian catastrophe in light of the failure to reach an agreement to approve a new extension. Last December, Turkey, the United States and European countries participated in the calls to urge Russia to agree to extend the aid transfer mechanism to Syria.
According to the United Nations, about 2.7 million people benefited from the aid mechanism every month during the year 2022, and 4.1 million people need aid in areas outside the control of the regime, with the intensification of the cold and the spread of cholera.
Russia's failure to express its agreement to extend the aid mechanism, with the current mandate approaching the end, prompted some countries in the Security Council to propose a new mechanism for aid through an intermediary company, which was rejected by the organizations operating inside Syria.
Erdogan: It is possible to hold a meeting that includes the presidents of Turkey, Russia and Syria based on developments (Anatolia)
Possible triple encounter
On the other hand, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that it is possible to hold a meeting that includes the presidents of Turkey, Russia and Syria, based on developments.
Erdogan said in a speech delivered today, Thursday - during a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party in the capital, Ankara - that a tripartite meeting is scheduled to be held, including the foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia and Syria for the first time, in order to further enhance communication after talks between the defense ministers last week.
He explained that "Turkey, Russia and Syria launched a path according to which a meeting will be held between the foreign ministers (of the three countries), and later we, the leaders, will meet according to developments."
On the other hand, Erdogan also mentioned that he will talk to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the issue of a passage for grains and fertilizers in the Black Sea, after a phone call he made with Russian President Vladimir Putin.