UN, Turkey decry potential Syria bloodbath

BEIRUT — U.N. SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres is appealing to all parties directly and indirectly involved in Syria — especially Iran, Russia and Turkey — to protect civilians and avoid a “bloodbath” in the last major rebelheld stronghold in Idlib.

He said a fullscale battle in Idlib “would unleash a humanitarian nightmare unlike any seen in the bloodsoaked Syrian conflict.”

Guterres said he understands that “the present situation in Idlib is not sustainable and the presence of terrorist groups cannot be tolerated.”

But the U.N. chief said it is especially important that Iran, Russia and Syria — the guarantor states in the socalled “Astana process” aimed at ending the violence in Syria — “find a way in which it is possible to isolate terrorist groups and ... create a situation in which civilians will not be the price paid to solve the problem in Idlib.”

Turkey’s U.N. ambassador is urging the international community “to vocally and actively support” Turkish calls for a complete ceasefire in Syria’s last rebelheld stronghold in Idlib province.

Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu told the U.N. Security Council yesterday that “an allout military operation would result in a major humanitarian catastrophe” and “trigger a massive wave of refugees and tremendous security risks for Turkey, the rest of Europe and beyond.”

He said President Bashar Assad’s regime seeks to legitimize its military operation in Idlib on the grounds that it’s fighting terrorism.

But the Turkey envoy warned that such an operation “would create further suffering, alienate and radicalize more Syrians” and “would only play into the hands of terrorists.”

Sinirlioglu stressed that “only a viable ceasefire would allow the creation of an environment to effectively fight terrorism.”

Iran’s U.N. ambassador is warning the U.S., Britain and France against using force against Syria “under the pretext” of its alleged use of chemical weapons.

Gholamali Khoshroo told the U.N. Security Council yesterday that Syria’s declared chemical weapons have been destroyed and this would only be “a fabrication to use force” and “further complicate the situation.”