UN Rights Chief Arrives in Syria for First Ever Visit

Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
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UN Rights Chief Arrives in Syria for First Ever Visit

Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk arrived in Syria's capital, Damascus, on Tuesday for the first ever visit of the global body's rights chief to the country.

Turk, an Austrian lawyer, will visit Syria and Lebanon from Jan. 14-16 and meet with officials, civil society groups, diplomats and UN bodies, the UN statement said, without giving further details.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was driven from power by a lightening opposition offensive last month, ending 50 years of family rule and raising hopes for accountability for crimes committed during Syria's more than 13 year civil war.

According to Reuters, under Assad, many UN officials and rights groups were denied access to the country to investigate alleged violations.

A spokesperson for Turk's office did not immediately provide further details of how many times he or his predecessors had tried to gain access to the country. The role of High Commissioner for Human Rights was created in 1993.



Türkiye Urges Iraq to Foster Positive Relations with Syria’s New Leadership

The fourth meeting of the Turkish-Iraqi High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara, August 2024 (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The fourth meeting of the Turkish-Iraqi High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara, August 2024 (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Türkiye Urges Iraq to Foster Positive Relations with Syria’s New Leadership

The fourth meeting of the Turkish-Iraqi High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara, August 2024 (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The fourth meeting of the Turkish-Iraqi High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara, August 2024 (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is on an official visit to Baghdad on Sunday to hold discussions with senior Iraqi officials on bilateral ties and regional and international developments.

During this visit, his fourth to Iraq since assuming office in June 2023, Fidan will meet with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, as well as Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Speaker of Parliament Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani, and President Abdul Latif Rashid.

According to sources within the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the agenda will cover key issues related to the growing relationship between the neighboring countries, which has seen significant progress over the past three years, alongside current regional developments.

Sources indicated that Fidan will emphasize his country’s commitment to further strengthening its ties with Iraq based on a positive agenda and an institutional framework. He will stress the activation of various cooperation mechanisms established during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Iraq on April 22, 2024.

Fidan will also underscore Türkiye’s recognition of the importance of maintaining Iraq’s stability and security for the broader region, and its support for the Iraqi government’s efforts to counter the adverse effects of Israeli aggression and developments in Syria on Iraq’s stability.

Fidan is expected to advocate for constructive dialogue and neighborly relations between Baghdad and Syria’s new administration, emphasizing that such an approach would benefit both countries and the wider region.

The minister is also set to convey Türkiye’s expectations that Iraq officially designate the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as a “terrorist organization” and take necessary steps to fully eliminate its presence within Iraqi territory.

On security and counterterrorism cooperation between Ankara and Baghdad, sources stated that Fidan will express satisfaction with the growing understanding between the two countries in these areas. He will highlight Ankara’s approval of Iraq’s official stance on the PKK and its anticipation that Baghdad will declare the party a terrorist organization and eradicate its presence entirely.

Türkiye continues its military operations against PKK militants in northern Iraq. Ankara and Baghdad have agreed to coordinate their efforts against the group through a memorandum of understanding on military and security cooperation and counterterrorism. This agreement was signed by Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Güler and his Iraqi counterpart Thabit Al-Abbasi during the fourth meeting of the High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara last August.

Fidan’s discussions will also address ways to enhance trade relations with Iraq, one of Türkiye’s most important economic partners, with a trade volume of $20 billion. He will call for the removal of artificial barriers to bilateral trade and reaffirm his country’s support for the strategic “Development Road” project, while emphasizing efforts to expedite its implementation.