UN
Statement
Calls for
Restraint From
Turkey and
Syria, SC Prez
Tells ICP
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 4 --
On the UN
Security
Council's
press
statement on
Akcakale in
Turkey, what changed
in the 22
hours
between the
silence
procedure
being broken
by Russia and
the
statement's
read-out by
Council
President Gert
Rosenthal on
Thursday
evening?
Mostly
the inserting
of nine final
words: "The
members of the
Security
Council called
for
restraint."
Inner
City Press
asked
Ambassador
Rosenthal,
once he had
read out the
statement,
whether it
would be fair
to read this
as a call for
restraint by
Turkey as
well, or just
Syria.
"Both,"
Rosenthal
said. He
confirmed that
a separate
draft press
statement on
bombings in
Aleppo is
under the
Council's
"silence
procedure"
until 10 am on
Friday.
Russian
Ambassador
Vitaly Churkin
told the
press that one
Council member
had extended
silence until
then. But
would it be
further
extended?
There
were a few
other minor
changes from
the initial
Azerbaijani
(or
"Ottoman")
draft and the
one agreed to:
the first
draft
expressed
condolences
first to the
Government of
Turkey then to
the
families of
the victims;
this was
reversed in
the final
statement.
Also a
reference to
"international
peace and
security" was
removed.
Some
drew a link
from the
negotiations
to an upcoming
visit to
Turkey by
Russian
president
Putin on
October 14.
Others
speculated
about some
other deal
being reached.
In
the run-up to
the passing, a
well placed
diplomat told
Inner City
Press of
passing the
press
statement, "If
they can do it
to keep
Turkey quiet,
good." But
will it? Watch
this site.
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