Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2019
139. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps taken by the EU and the international community to protect Kurds in northern Syria in view of the military operation by Turkey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43370/19]
View answer141. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if economic and other sanctions proposed to be imposed on Turkey were discussed at the most recent EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting for its military action on the Syria/Turkey border. [43400/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 141 together.
Ireland is deeply troubled by Turkey’s unilateral military action in Syria, which has severely destabilised a region which is still reeling from the fight against ISIS. I am particularly concerned about the humanitarian impact of the action and the further displacements of civilian populations that are occurring as a result.
While we understand Turkey’s security concerns about its own territory, these concerns should be addressed through political and diplomatic means. I have stressed that the protection of civilians and respect for international humanitarian law must be paramount.
At the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 14 October, my colleagues and I condemned this action, and Member States agreed to halt arms export licensing to Turkey. The Conclusions of the Foreign Affairs Council were endorsed by the European Council on 17 October.
Officials from my Department met the Turkish Ambassador on 11 October, and made Ireland’s views on the situation clear. We emphasised our belief that these hostilities will undermine stability and threaten progress achieved in the fight against ISIS.
The rights of local populations in north-east Syria, including the Kurdish population, must be respected. The EU has been clear that any attempt at demographic change would be unacceptable, and that no stabilisation assistance will be provided in areas where the rights of local populations are ignored. Ireland and the EU have maintained that returns of refugees and internally-displaced people to their places of origin must be voluntary, dignified and safe. It is unlikely that the so-called ‘safe zone’ in north-east Syria, as envisaged by Turkey, would satisfy international criteria for refugee return as laid down by UNHCR.
Ireland is a strong and consistent humanitarian donor to the Syria crisis response. In March 2019, Ireland pledged a further €25 million to the crisis, bringing the total amount of humanitarian assistance committed to the Syria crisis to over €143 million since 2012 – our largest ever response to any single crisis. This funding is provided on the basis of humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, and therefore is not targeted at any one ethnic group.
However, it does include cross-border funding into northern Syria, and Ireland has been in contact with partners in recent days about their response in response to the upsurge in displacements and increased humanitarian need in north-east Syria as a result of the military offensive. A number of Ireland's humanitarian partners work in north-east Syria, including the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). For example, WFP is currently assisting over 100,000 people with emergency food assistance in north-east Syria.
All military action in Syria risks undermining the work of the UN in attempting to facilitate a negotiated end to the conflict, and a political transition which meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people. I take this opportunity to reiterate Ireland’s strong support for the work of the UN Special Envoy and urge all parties to engage with the UN-led process.
