By Bayram Altug
GENEVA (AA) - Turkiye's ambassador to the UN in Geneva said Thursday that there would be a major crisis in the region if there is no intervention in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Sadik Arslan spoke at an urgent debate of the UN Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in Ukraine stemming from the Russian military operation and stressed the importance to stop the aggression.
Arslan told the 47-member Council that Russia's actions are unjustified and a serious violation of international law and order.
He said Turkiye rejects and condemns the unlawful acts that threaten regional and global security. “We call on Russia to stop military operations and withdraw its forces from Ukraine,” he said.
Arslan noted Turkiye’s efforts to achieve a cease-fire as soon as possible and called on UN member states to take a determined stance against violations of human rights and humanitarian law.
Russia's war on Ukraine, which began Feb. 24, has met international outrage with the EU, US and UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.
According to UN figures, 227 civilians have been killed and 525 injured since the start of the war. Ukrainian authorities, however, put the death toll at more than 2,000.
More than 1 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, according to the UN Refugee Agency.