At Russian Agenda Request: U.N. Security Council to Turkey: ‘Comply with International Law,’ Stop Shelling Syria

On Tuesday at the U.N. Security Council (UNSC), Turkey’s shelling of Syrian territory was taken up, at the request of Russia, and the Council unanimously urged Turkey to stop its attacks. At the closed-door session, Council members received a briefing on Turkey’s violations of Syrian sovereignty. Afterward, the UNSC Chairman, Venezuelan Ambassador Rafael Ramirez, told reporters, as cited by TASS, that, “All members of the Security Council…agreed to ask for Turkey to comply with international law.” The Council affirmed its commitment to the Munich agreement.

Ramirez said that, “UN Security Council members are concerned with the Turkish attacks on a number of Syrian regions…” He spoke specifically against attacks on the Kurds. “One of the issues expressed by some countries, including Venezuela, is that the Kurdish people have to be included in the discussion…Something that is important—the Kurds are fighting against the terrorist groups on the ground, and this is an important factor for everybody…”

Russian leadership in defending sovereignty and international law is evident in the UNSC process. Last week, the Syrian government had sent letters to the Council, reporting on Turkey’s attacks on Kurdish militia forces inside Syria, and charging that Turkey was violating Syria’s sovereignty. On Monday, Russia made the request for this matter to be put on the Council’s agenda.

The Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement Feb. 15, saying that Russia sees the Turkish action, “as direct support for international terrorism in violation of corresponding UN Security Council resolutions and the commitments that Turkey assumed as a member of the International Syria Support Group in Vienna, New York and Munich.” Therefore, “Russia will support the initiative to put this issue on the agenda of the UN Security Council, which should provide an unambiguous assessment of Turkey’s provocative policy that is threatening peace and security in the Middle East and beyond it.”