President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a press conference before leaving for Algeria, the first stop of his four-country trip to Africa which includes Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal, and Mali.

“The persecution in Eastern Ghouta should immediately be ended”

About the United Nations (UN) Security Council’s resolution on 30-day cessation of hostilities in Syria including in Eastern Ghouta, President Erdoğan recalled that Eastern Ghouta continues to be bombed by the Syrian regime and stressed that resolution 2401 is not being implemented and that the process is unmercifully continuing.

President Erdoğan said that they asked President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Hassan Rouhani of Iran to hand them the children, women and elderly people under blockade in Eastern Ghouta in order to have them treated in Turkey but that they have not been handed, and added: “They have not been handed to us but to the regime. Of course, their fate is uncertain at the hands of the regime. The situation remains the same for the time being.”

President Erdoğan also noted: “We thoroughly discussed the issue today with Mr. Macron and I clearly saw his sensitivities and discomfort on it from his words in person. We will be following this issue both at UN and with the countries at UN Security Council in order for this persecution in Eastern Ghouta to be immediately ended. We will especially continue our talks with Mr. Putin on this issue. We will also continue our talks with Iran. Our Minister of Foreign Affairs will also follow the process with his interlocutors.”

Following the press conference, President Erdoğan left for Algeria.

ILKHA