The Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Turkey. The Secretary-General thanked the Turkish Government for hosting the World Humanitarian Summit and welcomed Turkey’s support for the Agenda for Humanity.

The Secretary-General and the President also discussed the situation in Syria, including on the root causes of the refugee crisis, enhancing international efforts to combat the threat posed by Da’esh. The Secretary-General stressed the need for improved humanitarian access, as well as actions against persistent violators of the cessation of hostilities, in the hope that the next round of talks in Geneva could take place soon and focus on transition arrangements.

The Secretary-General condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Turkey and expressed his condolences to the Government and people of Turkey. He urged due diligence with regard to civilians and adherence to international human rights principles during the course of any counter-terrorism operations.