Mustafa Çağlayan
February 17, 2016•Update: February 18, 2016
By Mustafa Caglayan
NEW YORK
Venezuela's UN ambassador on Tuesday walked back a statement he earlier made on behalf of the Security Council, admitting his remarks on Turkey did not reflect a consensus view by the council.
Rafael Dario Ramirez Carreno, who holds the council's February presidency, said there was no official press element agreed to by the group that expressed concern about Turkey's shelling of targets in northern Syria.
Earlier Tuesday, following closed-door discussions on the cross-border shelling, he told reporters that all 15 members of the council voiced concern about the issue and called on Turkey to abide by international law.
The meeting, which followed consultations on Yemen, had been requested by Russia, a permanent member of the council.
"The member [sic] of the Security Council expressed their [sic] concern about the Turkey's attack in the north of Syrian territory," Ramirez had said. "We receive [sic] ... a letter from the Syrian government, expresses the concern about this violation, and all member [sic] of the Security Council are agreed to asking for Turkey to comply with the international law".
Ramirez's comments were immediately contradicted by some council diplomats, with one diplomat telling Anadolu Agency that the Venezuelan envoy's words did not reflect actual substance of the discussions.
Ramirez later held another news conference following a council meeting on Iraq where he was asked whether his earlier remarks were a mistake.
"We expressed this morning the concern about the situation, but we don't have any product. I have to be clear to everybody, we don't have any product, any press statement, presidential declaration, any resolution about this issue", he said.
When asked if all 15 council members expressed concern about Turkey's actions, he said the members "expressed their concern about that situation, about the bombing of humanitarian facilities, about the many issues, very complicated issues, but we don't have any product at the moment, we are waiting, still discussing this issue [sic]".
The council session followed Turkish shelling of PYD and PKK positions in northern Syria for four consecutive days in retaliation to artillery fire from PYD forces based around Azaz town, located in Aleppo’s northern countryside just 6 kilometers 6 kilometers (4 miles) from the Turkish border.
The PYD is the Syrian branch of the terrorist-declared PKK, which has since 1984 targeted Turkish security forces and civilians.
The meeting also came a day after suspected Russian missile attacks on at least six hospitals killed nearly 50 civilians including children in Aleppo and Idlib.
Prior to the meeting, Britain's UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters that the meeting was an attempt by Russia to divert attention from Syria.
"I can understand why countries might want to change the subject and focus on Yemen or focus on Turkey.
“But we really need to be focusing on Syria," Rycroft said.
Venezuela and Russia are allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a conflict that has left more than 250,000 victims dead and made the country the world's single largest source of refugees and displaced persons, according to UN figures.
