Royal Highness,
Ministers,
Colleagues,
Heads of delegations,
President and the members of the Syrian National Coalition,

Let me begin by expressing our gratitude for the generous hospitality of Morocco and the Royal Message of His Majesty, the King Mohammad VI.

His leadership is a valuable source of inspiration for the whole region, and it is symbolically very important that we have this meeting in the historic city of Marrakech- the city of civilization and cultural heritage which we all share.

First, I thank Sheikh Maaz-Al-Khatip, the President of the Coalition for his overwhelming presentation. I also thank to sister Suhair Atassi for the valuable information during her presentation. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the remarkable work of the Syrian Nation Coalition in the first month of existence. Thanks to the dedication of the members of the Coalition, we now have an inclusive, legitimate and well-organized opposition structure to work with during this transition process representing the people of Syria.

Now, with the establishment of the High Military Council, the strength of the institutional setup has increased even further. And there is no excuse anymore for the inactivity of the international committee. Our 4th gathering as the Friends of the Syrian People takes place at an important juncture. While it provides us with the opportunity to take stock of our actions and coordinate our efforts, it also constitutes a test-case for the international community and for all of us to fulfill its responsibilities towards the Syrian people.

The success of this meeting will be measured by the decisions and ensuing actions we take for the prosperity of the Syrian people and for democracy in Syria.

We have reached to a critical point in responding the increasing challenges emanating from this crisis. Since our last meeting in Paris almost half a year ago, facts and figures have changed; circumstances have evolved drastically, but one thing is permanent: the desire and strong political will of the Syrian people.

In order to prevent further deterioration of the crisis and its adverse effects on the broader region, today we must produce tangible results. Urgent and determined action is more necessary than ever. Why do we have to act as Friends of Syria?

First, it is our moral responsibility towards the millions of our Syrian brothers and sisters who are deprived of their right to live in dignity. The real source of instability and brutality in Syria is not the demand for a change. It is the refusal to change. The war in Syria is not between the Regime and the opposition; it is between a tyranny and the people and democracy. We already made our preference for Syrian people through establishing this Group of Friends. We need to develop means and methods to translate this preference into practice.

Second, to save a country which is on the brink of destruction, a country which is very dear for us, especially as a neighboring country of Turkey. Our brothers and sisters in Syria in all cities- from Damascus to Aleppo, from Deir ez-Zor to Latakia, from Quneitra to Daraa - in all cities Syrian People are confronted with a ruthless regime for almost 2 years. The efforts of the international community unfortunately could not reach to a level so far to convince the Assad regime that its actions would not go unanswered. Instead, the lack of inaction only contributed to the persistence of the suppression.

Third, the acts of aggression of the regime have become a serious threat for the entire region, particularly for the neighboring countries. The more desperate the Regime becomes, the more aggression we face. 21 months ago, the regime started with bullets, continued with mortar shells, and then with fighter jets, airplanes bombing the cities, and lately even with ballistic missiles. What comes next?

Fourth, Assad is arming terrorists and extremists to solicit their support in his war against civilians. The longer the current strife continues, the more Syria will be torn apart. Radical and terrorist organizations and groups will further enjoy a fertile ground. Ethnic, religious and sectarian identities will be sharpened. We cannot let this happen. Syrian people with all the components: Christians, Muslims, Sunnis, Alawites, Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens lived together for centuries and they will be living together peacefully until the end of history. But they need our assistance. Not only ours, but also regional and global security will be at stake if we do not act now.

How do we act?

First, the opposition responded our calls and proved their commitment to the future of Syria. It is now time for the international community to fulfill its obligations by supporting and encouraging the opposition. The first step should be the recognition of the National Coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. This would be a strong message to the Syrian people as well as to the Regime.

We could immediately begin to work with the Coalition in order to alleviate the sufferings of the Syrians. Now there is a humanitarian tragedy in Syria and around Syria. Only in Turkey we have 140.000 refugees in camps and around 60.000 in the cities. There are more than 500.000 refugees outside, but they are lucky. They are at least in secure places. But those who are living today in Syria-more than 2 million people- they do not have housing, they don’t have shelter, they do not have food, they do not have electricity or they do not have any other thing to survive their lives. How did they survive throughout this winter? Therefore, it is time now to act, to help them, to have humanitarian access directly with the people living inside Syria. Turkey is ready to take its role in cooperating with the mechanisms within the Coalition in delivering humanitarian aid into Syria.

From the perspective of diplomatic approach, of course diplomatic efforts are important, but what we need is concrete and tangible steps to be taken, because time is of essence. We don’t have time to spend more through meetings or diplomatic efforts. Therefore, while continuing to urge the UN Security Council to undertake its responsibility and live up to its mandate, we should set a time frame for the efforts to get a meaningful output from the Council. The Syrian people cannot be left to become victims to the deadlock within the Security Council.

Although we have been supporting the efforts of Mr. Brahimi, there should be a fixed timetable for the steps he was expected to take too. And there should be a light at the end of the tunnel for the Syrian people. Finally, the messages to be delivered to the officials are of crucial importance from Marrakech. Syrian people should feel that they are not alone and they are not forgotten. A brighter future for the Syrians is not distant. As brother Maaz-Al-Khatip said: “The sunrise, the morning is soon”.

Best greetings to the people of Syria who are fighting for their freedom.

Thank you very much.