Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has strongly criticized the UN Security Council over its failure to agree on decisive steps to end the Syrian conflict, saying the world was witnessing a humanitarian tragedy in Syria, Turkish newspaper Today's Zaman reported.

Addressing the Istanbul World Forum, Erdogan said structural injustice was clearly seen in the activity of several international organizations, particularly the UN.

"It is time to change the structure of international organizations, especially the UN Security Council," he said.

"More than 30,000 people have been killed in Syria; 250,000 people have had to leave their homes and flee. Some 100,000 of these people are in Turkey right now -- they are our guests here.

"So what is the source of this attitude? If we have to wait for what one or two of the permanent members of the UN Security Council will say, then the consequences for Syria will be very dangerous," Erdogan told participants of the Istanbul forum, according to Turkish daily Hurriyet.

Erdogan said the UN council has failed to pursue an effective policy with regard to the crisis in Syria, adding that the Syrian people deserve justice to be served.

Russia and China used their veto power three times in the UNSC to shield Syria from harsher international pressure, arguing firmly against a military intervention.

Erdogan called for a reform of the Security Council, which he called an "unequal, unfair system" that didn't represent the will of most countries.

"The UN Security Council has not intervened in the human tragedy that has been going on in Syria for 20 months, despite all our efforts," said Erdogan. "There's an attitude that encourages, gives the green light to President Assad to kill dozens or hundreds of people every day."

The UNSC, divided between Western powers on one side and Russia and China on the other, has proven helpless in halting the conflict, which has spiraled into civil war and killed more than 30,000 people.

"Nobody can claim that the UN Security Council is built upon a fair structure. We have left the world to the mercy of five permanent members -- whatever they say happens. The UN has to be reformed in line with justice," Erdogan stressed.

Turkey has been pursuing a policy complying with justice regarding this issue from the very beginning, he added.

Erdogan criticized the international community's lack of determination regarding the history of nations that have suffered from bloody massacres.

"How sad is that the United Nations is as helpless today as it was 20 years ago when it watched the massacre of hundreds of thousands of people in the Balkans, Bosnia and Srebrenica," Erdogan noted.

Tension between Turkey and Syria has been high lately. The tension began when a Syrian mortar landed in Turkish territory, killing five civilians in Akcakale.

The Turkish military responded by attacking several targets in Syria. Turkey's parliament later gave the government the green light to use military force against Syria if necessary.

On Wednesday, Turkey intercepted a Syrian Airbus A320 flying from Moscow to Damascus and escorted it to the Esenboga Airport in Ankara.

Turkey later said it had seized "objectionable cargo" aboard the Syrian passenger plane. Syria, in turn, accused Turkey of lying.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that the country has closed its airspace to Syrian civilian flights on Saturday.

The country earlier closed its airspace to Syrian military flights.

With regard to Syria's announcement on closing its airspace to Turkish flights, Davutoglu said it is, in fact, a decision made by Turkey.

"A Syrian plane was stopped as it was carrying military cargo last week, and after that the Turkish government decided that Turkish planes would not use Syrian airspace," he added.