Turkey: Vetoed UN resolution is 'missed opportunity'

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has described as a "missed opportunity" the vetoing of a draft resolution concerning Syria's Eastern Ghouta which was presented before the UN Security Council and backed by Turkey.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy, in a news conference in Ankara, said a draft resolution was submitted to the UN Security Council to allow an investigation on suspected chemical attack in Syria's eastern Ghouta but it was vetoed by Russia on Tuesday.

"The United States submitted the draft resolution but it was vetoed. We see this vetoed draft resolution as a missed opportunity," Aksoy said.

The spokesman added that Turkey was among the sponsors of the draft resolution.

The Damascus suburb of Douma Saturday was hit by a suspected chemical attack, which left at least 78 civilians dead, according to the White Helmets.

The local civil defense agency blames the Bashar al-Assad regime forces for the attack.

On Feb. 24, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution which called for a month-long cease-fire in Syria -- especially in eastern Ghouta -- to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Despite the resolution, the Assad regime last month launched a major ground offensive backed by Russia aimed at capturing Eastern Ghouta’s last opposition strongholds.

Last month, a UN commission of inquiry released a report accusing the regime of committing war crimes in Eastern Ghouta, including the use of chemical weapons against civilians.