The positive remarks from both leaders during the joint press conference marked a shift towards a more cooperative and constructive relationship after years of tension between the neighbours.

Erdogan’s vision to turn the Aegean into a “sea of peace and cooperation” and Mitsotakis’ call for a “future of peace, progress, and cooperation” set an optimistic tone, opening the door to potential bilateral resolutions and regional stability in the East Mediterranean Sea.

Erdogan’s constructive statesmanship and statements before his visit to Athens formed a basis for this new situation.

A diplomatic breakthrough

The Eastern Mediterranean energy conflict lies at the heart of the tensions between Ankara and Athens – a complex issue rooted in disputes over maritime boundaries and energy resources.

The recent meeting between Erdogan and Mitsotakis hints at a commitment to finding mutually beneficial solutions.

Resolving this dispute is not only about easing immediate tensions but also holds broader implications for the stability and prosperity of the entire region.

In that regard, Türkiye may play a pivotal role in providing a win-win resolution to the EastMed energy dilemma for all parties.

Situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Türkiye serves as an intercontinental bridge and pan-regional energy hub for transporting Eastern Mediterranean gas to European markets.

For instance, international projects like TurkStream and TANAP, designed for efficient transportation of natural gas through Anatolia, put Türkiye as the most cost-effective and prudent destination and partner for fostering mutually beneficial collaborations in transportation ventures to the Western side of the world.

When it comes to facilities, Ankara’s well-established capacity in exploring, drilling and extracting gas can contribute to a potential joint campaign led by Greece and Türkiye, with the involvement of other regional actors, instead of paying for non-regional actors.

Furthermore, Türkiye’s discovery of natural gas reserves with a market value of $1 trillion in the Black Sea has marked the beginning of a new era for the country in self-sufficiency in meeting its natural gas requirements.

Such potential campaigns not only benefit Ankara but also create a mutually advantageous scenario for the entire region, fostering economic growth and stability with regional ‘cooperation’ as the only way out of the energy dilemma.

Regional cooperation platform

A strengthened partnership between Türkiye and Greece transcends economic benefits.

The Eastern Mediterranean region has witnessed increased militarisation in the past few years. And a cooperative approach will not only reduce the likelihood of armed confrontations but also provide a framework for crafting a blueprint to address the energy dilemma under Greece and Türkiye’s leadership, fostering a more stable and prosperous region.

Therefore, it is imperative to establish a cooperation platform for projecting an inclusive roadmap, encouraging all stakeholders to adopt a comprehensive maritime concord, and ensuring fairness and compliance with international law, such as the regional accord between Türkiye and Libya signed in 2019.

Moreover, the positive momentum generated by this diplomatic thaw may open the door to increased cultural and people-to-people exchanges under the realities of shared history, cultural ties, and geographical proximity between the people of Greece and Türkiye.

Global implications

In the broader context of international relations, the growing diplomatic ties between Türkiye and Greece send a positive message about the efficacy of diplomatic solutions to longstanding conflicts.

In an era dominated by geopolitical tensions, the success of dialogue and negotiation over confrontation sets a precedent for resolving disputes through political means. The renewed friendship between Greece and Türkiye stands as an example for other nations facing longstanding conflicts, emphasising the power of diplomacy in overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges.

The reconciliation, along with numerous agreements, also underscores the international optimism surrounding the leaders’ commitment to resolving longstanding issues and promoting cooperation.

While this diplomatic breakthrough is a cause for optimism, it is essential to recognise the challenges ahead.

Building trust and sustaining positive momentum requires continued efforts from both sides. The implementation of confidence-building measures, ongoing dialogue, and a commitment to compromise will be crucial as the world watches with hope that this positive momentum will not only endure but also inspire other nations to seek diplomatic solutions to their own longstanding issues.

Consequently, the recent meeting can be a decisive moment to end the turbulent situation in the Eastern Mediterranean. The potential benefits of improved relations extend beyond the bilateral scope, influencing the economic, security, and cultural landscape of the entire region.

As both nations embark on a journey towards friendship, the imperative now lies in leveraging international mediation to establish a joint task platform for resource management.

This platform, committed to transparently handling the exploration and distribution of energy resources, has the potential to capitalise on Türkiye’s expertise and facilities in exploration, drilling, and transportation.

For championing a win-win vision, this reconciliation should pursue a lasting resolution that can uplift the entire region. It not only boosts stability but also sets a significant precedent for productive cooperation in the complex Eastern Mediterranean geopolitics.

Source: TRT World

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Zaharoula Vassilaki, an organic farmer from Greece, gazes admiringly at a massive olive tree on her land, estimated to be over two centuries old. Despite being struck by lightning years ago, the tree continues to yield.

But climate change – in this case, the absence of deep winter – is proving too much for even this gnarled veteran to cope with.

“The climate has changed and the trees cannot cope with these big changes. We no longer have winter at all,” she told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

In mid-November, the temperature in the Halkidiki region of Polygyros, northern Greece, was still over 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit).

“I consider climate change the main challenge this season,” noted Nikos Anoixas, a board member of Doepel, the Greek national interprofessional organization for table olives.

“At this time, temperatures should be 10 degrees Celsius … the year is already lost, and we fear next year will be similar. I don’t even want to think what will happen if another such year follows,” Anoixas said.

Vangelis Evangelinos has been growing edible olives on his family land in Halkidiki, northern Greece, since childhood.

At 62, he does not recall adverse weather conditions such as the ones his area has endured this year – or such a poor crop – ever before.

“We’ve never had a year such as this,” Evangelinos told AFP, two months after the Thessaly region, to the south, was devastated by massive floods.

“The rainfall is intense and brief,” the opposite of what is needed to enrich the soil,” he said.

The warm weather has affected some 6 million trees in the region, according to producers and experts.

“This year, the phenomenon of ‘fruitlessness’ was very intense, but it is an issue that we have noticed mainly in the last five years,” said Vassilaki, 48.

The European Union’s olive production giants Italy and Spain have faced similar problems, pushing up prices.

Spain, the world’s biggest producer of olive oil, suffered a very difficult year in 2022, and drought this year has compounded the problem.

In Italy, this year’s olive harvest is down by an estimated 80%, according to producers.

The EU estimates global olive oil production will fall more than 26% in 2022-2023 compared to a year earlier, to just over 2.5 million tons.

In the EU itself, production is expected to drop 39%.

‘No winter at all’

“The old growers here say it is very important for the trees to rest in the winter. It takes about one to two months of good cold weather for the tree to rest … so that it can yield later,” Vassilaki said.

Athanassios Molassiotis, an agronomist and head of the arboriculture lab of Thessaloniki’s Aristotle University, said his team recorded an increase in temperature of two degrees during October, November and December 2022 compared to a year earlier.

This affected the olive buds “because we know that the tree bears fruit after cold winters, especially the Halkidiki variety, which has high requirements at low temperatures in winter,” he said.

“We found that in many trees, there was no flowering and therefore no fruit afterward,” Molassiotis said.

Halkidiki accounts for around half of edible table olives produced in Greece.

According to the regional Chamber of Commerce, more than 20,000 local producers cultivate 330,000 acres of olive trees in the area, generating an average of 120,000 to 150,000 tons of edible table olives annually.

More than 150 companies are active in olive processing and marketing, and more than 90% of the products produced are exported worldwide to Brazil, China, and Australia.

This year, however, the crop shortage has sometimes exceeded 90%, plunging sector entrepreneurs into despair.

‘Things will get worse’

“I’m afraid things will get worse in the future,” said Chamber President Yiannis Koufidis, noting the economic impact on growers has been “huge,” with a loss of some 200 million euros ($219 million) just in Halkidiki Prefecture alone.

In many cases, growers did not deem it worth the trouble to harvest their estates.

At the local olive processing unit, which also handles intake from across the country, management says production is down at least 60%.

A climate change study for the Halkidiki area in January showed the local average temperature is expected to increase by 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius in coming years, according to the best-case scenario.

At worst, it could be 3 degrees.

Aristotelio University’s study also predicts less rain.

It warned that the overall “thermal stress” is ultimately expected to impact fruit quality.

And because Halkidiki is also one of Greece’s main tourism destinations, there is an added draw on the area’s water resources, said study author Christina Anagnostopoulou.

“Climate changes will happen. We need to learn and prepare to reduce the effects,” the climatology professor told AFP.

Koufidis said the Halkidiki chamber is working with the university to create a variant of the local olive variety that requires less wintry weather.

“It’s a very difficult project. But we can’t stand idly by,” he said.

Source: DailY Sabah

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If claims that the United Kingdom used its bases in the Greek Cypriot administration as a conduit for weapons transfers to Israel are true, this will not be welcomed by the Turkish Cypriot side, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar said Monday.

Tatar told Anadolu Agency (AA) that “The U.K., as a respected country, must not support such a massacre” and that the island will not welcome being used for Israel’s atrocities targeting Palestinians.

Tatar reminded us that the U.K. has to fulfill its responsibilities as a guarantor in exchange for which it got the bases.

“We condemn Israel’s attacks. As the Turkish Cypriot society, we voiced our disturbance at the highest level,” he said.

Tatar further said that the U.K. stood by during the massacre of 1963 by the extreme nationalist EOKA terrorist organization on the island when hundreds of Turkish Cypriots were killed.

“While Turkish Cypriots were being subjected to massacres, while our children were being taken alive to the graves and being shot, we always waited for the intervention of the British bases as the guarantor country, but that intervention never happened,” he said.

Israeli daily Haaretz reported that more than 40 U.S. planes, 20 U.K. cargo planes and seven cargo helicopters transported weapons, equipment and personnel to the U.K.’s Akrotiri air base in the Greek Cypriot administration.

Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said that the bases on the island were used by the U.K. and the U.S. for preparations for possible evacuations.

Meanwhile, Cyprus Mail reported on Nov. 21 that the number of soldiers at British bases in the Greek Cypriot administration and the Eastern Mediterranean has surged by around 1,000 after the start of the war between Israel and Palestine on Oct. 7.

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had also announced on Oct. 13 that the country placed two warships, three military helicopters and some aircraft on its Cyprus bases to support Israel, increase deterrence and strengthen regional stability.

Cyprus has been mired in a decadeslong dispute between the Turkish and Greek Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.

It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece and the U.K.

The U.K. has maintained two military bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia since the island gained independence from Britain in 1960.

Source: Daily Sabah

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The United Kingdom and Greece were involved in a diplomatic spat Tuesday after London canceled a planned meeting of their prime ministers reportedly over the contested Parthenon Marbles.

The snub prompted Greek premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis to accuse his British counterpart of trying to avoid discussing the topic.

Mitsotakis is visiting London and had been expected to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing St. on Tuesday. He was due to raise Greece’s decades-old demand for the return of the ancient sculptures from the British Museum.

Late Monday Mitsotakis issued a statement to “express my annoyance at the fact that the British prime minister has canceled our planned meeting a few hours before it was due to take place.”

“Greece and Britain are linked by traditional bonds of friendship, and the scope of our bilateral relations is very broad,” Mitsotakis said.

“Greece’s positions on the matter of the Parthenon Sculptures are well known. I had hoped to have the opportunity to discuss them with my British counterpart, together with the current major international challenges: Gaza, Ukraine, climate change and immigration. Whoever believes that his positions are well-founded and just is never afraid of engaging in a debate.”

Britain confirmed the two leaders would not meet and said Mitsotakis would hold talks with Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden instead. It was unclear whether that meeting would happen; the BBC reported that the Greek leader had declined the invitation.

“The U.K.-Greece relationship is hugely important,” Sunak’s office said in a statement that notably failed to mention the disputed sculptures. “From our work together in NATO, to tackling shared challenges like illegal migration, to joint efforts to resolve the crisis in the Middle East and war in Ukraine.

“The deputy prime minister was available to meet with the Greek PM to discuss these important issues.”

Athens has long demanded the return of sculptures that were removed from Greece by British diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century. The sculptures that originally adorned the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple on the Acropolis have been displayed at the British Museum in London for over two centuries.

About half the surviving marble works are in London and the rest is in a purpose-built museum under the Acropolis in Athens. Appearing on British television Sunday, Mitsotakis compared the separation of the sculptures to cutting the Mona Lisa in half – a remark that annoyed the British government.

The British Museum is banned by law from giving the sculptures back to Greece, but its leaders have held talks with Greek officials about a compromise, such as a long-term loan.

But Sunak’s spokesman took a tough line Monday, saying the U.K. government had “no plans to change our approach, and certainly we think that the (British) museum is the right place” for the marbles.

“These were legally acquired at the time, they’re legally owned by the trustees of the museum. We support that position and there’s no plan to change the law which governs it,” said spokesman Max Blain.

“We have cared for the marbles for generations and our position is we want that to continue.”

Mitsotakis met Monday with U.K. opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, whose party leads Sunak’s governing Conservatives in opinion polls.

After Sunak’s meeting with the Greek leader was called off Labour said: “If the prime minister isn’t able to meet with a European ally with whom Britain has important economic ties, this is further proof he isn’t able to provide the serious economic leadership our country requires.

“Keir Starmer’s Labour Party stands ready.”

Source: Daily Sabah

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Awindow of opportunity exists for longtime rivals Türkiye and Greece to strengthen and normalize ties, Athens’ Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said on Tuesday.

During his talk at the London School of Economics, Gerapetritis answered Anadolu Agency’s (AA) questions on two-way relations, emphasizing the importance of a “deliberative approach” in foreign policy.

“I am very fond of the basic idea of deliberative processes in foreign policy and every aspect of life. I just aspire that anytime we have a dispute, it doesn’t eventually conclude in crisis,” he said.

Recognizing the fundamental differences between the two countries, he stressed the need for open discussions and resolution, underlining the significance of diplomacy in navigating disputes.

“We have jointly decided to leave aside our disputes,” Gerapetritis said, underscoring the belief that these differences should not hinder diplomatic dialogue.

Calm in Aegean

According to Gerapetritis, confidence-building measures in defense and military will be vital in improving relations.

On possible steps being pursued, he said the Greek government has appointed a diplomat to lead the confidence-building discussions between the two.

Pointing out the current calm in the Aegean Sea, he said it was “very important” to maintain this.

“What I keep on saying is that irrespective of whether we resolve our basic issues concerning delegation of military zones, it is by itself important to extend the period of calmness over the Aegean for as long as we can,” said Gerapetritis.

The Aegean dispute encompasses a series of interconnected controversies between Greece and Türkiye concerning sovereignty and associated rights in the region of the body of water between the two countries.

These conflicts have significantly strained Greek-Turkish relations since the 1970s and sometimes brought the two nations to the brink of military hostilities.

Despite opposition from some groups in both Greece and Türkiye, Gerapetritis stressed the imperative of working toward reconciliation and peaceful coexistence.

“This is definitely an asset for our discussion, and I can see that there are some people and groups in Greece and Türkiye, as well, who are opposing the idea of rapprochement of the two countries.

“I expected this but respectfully disagree with it. We have to live together. We have to work hard to live in peace,” he said.

There has been a rapprochement in Turkish-Greek relations in recent months, encouraged by the goodwill and humanitarian assistance shown on both sides earlier this year when southeastern Türkiye was rocked by two deadly earthquakes and Greece suffered a tragic train incident.

Both sides have warned against steps and statements that could damage the current environment of trust as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pledged to maintain the positive atmosphere after holding two rare face-to-face meetings.

Mindset change

The Greek foreign minister also argued that fostering good neighborly relations and mitigating the risk of tension or conflict should be prioritized over accelerating processes that may be divisive between Athens and Ankara.

“And I think it’s much better to be able to mitigate the risks of tension or war instead of trying to accelerate that process. And I think this is my responsibility toward the Greek citizens and especially with future generations,” he underlined.

Addressing the potential for increased collaboration, Gerapetritis revealed that the two nations were set to sign agreements in crucial areas.

“We have decided to focus not on things to separate us, but the things that actually unite us; for example, we have an ambitious political agenda that has agreements that will be signed in the near future concerning economy, tourism, education, culture.

“I think there is a different mindset in Türkiye-Greek relations. And, I think we should focus on win-win solutions to our issues and that’s why I’m working very hard with my colleagues.”

“I strongly believe in people-to-people diplomacy. We have to raise awareness among people concerning good neighborly relations,” Gerapetritis asserted.

Source: Daily Sabah

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Greece and Turkey made significant progress toward mending relations Thursday, as leaders of the neighboring countries agreed to several cooperative measures after years of tension.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the Greek capital of Athens, where he met with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The two reached agreements focusing on pursuing good neighborly relations, opening communication, lessening tension through military confidence-building, increasing trade and working to resolve issues in the Aegean Sea, where the two countries share a border.

“There is no issue between us that is unsolvable. So long as we focus on the big picture and don’t end up being like those who cross the sea and drown in the river,” Erdogan said. “We want to turn the Aegean into a sea of peace. Through the joint steps we will take as Turkey and Greece, we want to be an example to the world.”

Disputes between the two countries include maritime boundaries and rights to explore for resources in the Aegean Sea and eastern Mediterranean Sea. Tension has risen nearly to the point of war three times in the last 50 years.

Most recently, in 2020, warships from the two countries shadowed each other in the eastern Mediterranean.

Erdogan said as recently as last year that he had no interest in meeting with Mitsotakis. But the two have now met three times this year, with Thursday’s meeting showing a stark departure from the usual rhetoric used between the two leaders.

Mitsotakis praised the mending relationship and set a “realistic goal” to double trade between the two from $5.4 billion to $10.8 billion over the next five years.

The Greek leader also said he would back holiday visas for any Turks visiting Greece and would support Turkey’s request for a loosening of travel restrictions for Turks traveling to European Union countries.

An increased relationship with Greece is also a step toward Turkey improving relations with the EU, which the country has been attempting to join for two decades. Erdogan has made it a priority to increase cooperation with Western allies since being reelected in May.

Source: VOA

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday said Türkiye wants to develop cooperation with Greece on nuclear energy, adding that he hoped his visit to Athens would help improve ties between the NATO allies.

Türkiye and Greece agreed during a landmark visit by Erdoğan on Thursday to establish a road map designed to usher in a new era of closer relations.

Speaking to reporters on his flight back from Greece, where he met Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and several ministers, Erdoğan said the meetings were held in a “very positive” atmosphere.

He said Türkiye is considering allowing Greece to benefit from a nuclear power plant it plans to build near its Black Sea coast.

“We strive to develop and expand cooperation with Greece not only in the field of energy but also in all areas, including nuclear energy,” Erdoğan said.

“For example, we can provide Greece the opportunity (to benefit) from energy from our nuclear power plant to be built in Sinop (province).”

The Black Sea city is where Türkiye is planning to build its second power plant after Akkuyu, which is under construction on the Mediterranean coast.

Erdoğan said Mitsotakis was “warm” to the idea.

During his visit, Türkiye and Greece and signed more than a dozen cooperation deals on trade, energy and education and announced a road map for future high-level consultations aimed at avoiding crises.

“I believe that my visit, which took place in a very positive atmosphere, will open a new page in Türkiye-Greece relations,” Erdoğan said.

The ties between Ankara and Athens have long been marked by disputes over territorial sovereignty, migration and energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean and the island of Cyprus.

Asked about resolving outstanding maritime disputes with Greece, Erdoğan said Türkiye’s stance on protecting its rights in the region had not changed but fair sharing of energy resources was possible.

“Comprehensive and fair sharing in the Eastern Mediterranean is possible. So long as we build the basis to make this happen, form correct road maps and don’t give provocations an opportunity,” he said.

He added that a regional conference of littoral states that Ankara proposes would be a “correct step” in forming this basis.

Source: Daily Sabah

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Russia understands Türkiye’s concerns about the presence of members of the PKK terrorist group’s Syrian wing, the YPG, in northern Syria, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday as the countries struggle to see eye to eye on targeting terrorist groups.

Defense officials from Türkiye, Syria and Russia held landmark talks at the end of last year in an effort to normalize relations between Ankara and Damascus after years of war in the Middle Eastern country.

NATO member Türkiye has played a major part in the conflict, backing Bashar Assad’s opponents and sending troops into the north. Moscow is Assad’s main ally and Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged reconciliation with Ankara.

Lavrov on Wednesday also announced he would meet with his counterparts from Türkiye and Syria to discuss the ongoing situation, a week after a senior Turkish official revealed the three countries were aiming to bring together their foreign ministers sometime this month in what would be the highest-level talks between Ankara and Damascus since the civil war broke out in 2011.

“Türkiye, as you know, is in favor of normalizing relations with Damascus,” Lavrov told a televised news conference.

Russia had been asked to mediate between the two neighbors, he said. Therefore, a meeting of foreign ministers was now being set up, Lavrov said, echoing the anonymous Turkish official.

“One of the biggest problems is Idlib,” Lavrov pointed out. Türkiye, he said, must separate the pro-Turkish forces there from the Nusra Front, which Moscow and Damascus classify as terrorists.

Joint Turkish-Russian patrols along the main highway to Aleppo have also not worked so far, Lavrov noted.

The conflict in Syria, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions and drawn in regional and world powers, has rolled into a second decade, although fighting has subsided.

With backing from Russia and Iran, Assad’s regime has recovered most of Syria’s territory. Turkish-backed opposition fighters still control a pocket in the northwest, and YPG terrorists backed by the United States also control territory near the Turkish border.

The U.S. has mainly partnered with the terrorist YPG in fighting against Daesh in Syria. Ankara strongly opposes its presence in northern Syria, where it can plan attacks on Turkish territory and terrorizes local Syrians. Multiple Turkish officials have underlined that “subcontracting” a terrorist group to fight another was “a mistake.”

The meeting of top diplomats would shift talks toward political issues and away from security, and set the stage for Assad and Erdoğan to meet. Erdoğan earlier in January expressed willingness to meet his foe after the foreign ministers of both countries met.

Late in December, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar also revealed Türkiye was in talks with Russia related to using Syrian airspace in a possible operation against the YPG. Ankara had also indicated that Türkiye and Syria could work on counterterrorism efforts as the YPG occupies almost one-third of the land in Syria, thereby damaging the territorial integrity of the country.

The situation on the Turkish-Syrian border remains difficult as Türkiye strives to target YPG terrorists’ home bases in the region and preserve a security strip it has been working to establish for years.

Source: Daily Sabah

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The United Nations’ special envoy for Syria called on the constitutional committee to return to the table after almost a year.

Addressing the Security Council, Geir Pedersen said he is “concerned” by the 10-month lapse, which he said, “sends a troubling message: That Syrians’ ability to search for a comprehensive solution is held hostage to issues unrelated to their country.”

“The committee must resume its work in Geneva in a spirit of compromise, substance and at pace,” he said, adding: “The situation today is so unprecedented that it calls for leadership, bold ideas and a cooperative spirit. A political solution is the only way forward for Syria. We may not be able to reach that in one step – but I believe we can progress toward it gradually.”

Turning to ongoing efforts to remedy devastation brought by devastating earthquakes in neighboring Syria, Pedersen said it is “absolutely vital” to get direly needed resources to northwest Syria to address “the immense suffering arising from the conflict.”

A “sustained calm” is also needed, particularly in earthquake-afflicted regions, Pedersen said, noting “a creeping rise in incidents,” including rocket fire and shelling and “crossline raids.”

The committee meetings, which started in October 2019 with 150 members, are the first concrete step to drafting a new constitution to determine Syria’s future.

Syria has been embroiled in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with brute ferocity.

Source: Daily Sabah

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The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) on Monday condemned the suspension of United Nations’ aid deliveries through a crossing from Türkiye to northwestern Syria for the past seven weeks.

In a written statement, the rights group said that since U.N. aid halted, civilians residing in camps in the region have been facing difficult circumstances, as the supply of bread to numerous refugee camps had been cut off.

For seven weeks now, aid to northwestern Syria has been suspended since the cross-border aid mechanism expired on July 10 and after Russia vetoed the resolution to extend aid crossings in the U.N. Security Council on July 11.

Under a resolution adopted in 2014, international aid was sent to people in northwestern Syria via Türkiye. The aid, mostly food and medicine, is estimated to have reached 4 million people. After an earthquake killed more than 56,000 people in Türkiye and Syria in February, Syria allowed the U.N. to use those two border crossings from Türkiye to dispatch aid. The approval was due to expire on Aug. 13.

The mandate of the U.N. aid mechanism was previously extended until July 10 by a decision on Jan. 10.

Just days later, Damascus authorized the mechanism for another six months, saying the deliveries would have to be in “full cooperation and coordination with the Bashar Assad regime,” but those aid deliveries are yet to resume because the U.N. has concerns with “two unacceptable conditions.”

The same conditions have not been imposed on the U.N. use of the Bab al-Salam and Al Ra’ee border crossings.

Syrians who fled Bashar Assad’s rule fear he may soon be able to choke off badly needed aid as Damascus acts to establish sway over U.N. assistance into the opposition-held northwest, the last major bastion of the Syrian opposition.

Source: Daily Sabah

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