ISTANBUL 

Türkiye's National Security Council on Thursday welcomed the moves to lift sanctions "harming" Syrian people, vowing continued support for the Syrian administration's efforts to achieve stability across the country.

“During this critical period, the importance of eliminating initiatives that could harm Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, unitary structure, and political unity was highlighted. A call was made for a principled stance against activities aimed at destabilizing Syria,” the council said in a statement.

Assessing the recent developments in the goal of a "terror-free Türkiye," the council underlined its determination to closely monitor every stage of the dissolution process.

“It was noted that cleansing our shared geography of all terrorist organizations would usher in a peaceful era for regional countries—particularly our neighbors Iraq, Syria, and Iran. It was stated that enhancing cooperation in the field of security would make the most significant contribution to building a shared future for our region,” it said.

The council underlined the obligation of the international actors to fulfill their responsibility in eliminating the risks stemming from Israel's policies.

“It was emphasized that Israel's ongoing genocide and occupation in Gaza, as well as its systematic attacks and expansionist ambitions toward Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, are undermining peace efforts in the Middle East,” it further said.

A sensitive phase has begun to end the Russia-Ukraine war, said the statement, adding that Ankara will continue to contribute to global peace via peace diplomacy.

The council’s meeting addressed the events unfolding in North and East Africa, said the statement, adding that Türkiye will continue and increase its support for the efforts of “brotherly” African countries to ensure security and stability.

The statement welcomed an agreement reached by Azerbaijan and Armenia on the draft peace treaty.

It also expressed hope for creating the necessary conditions to achieve a final peace that would produce outcomes benefiting all regional actors.