Closing remarks by President von der Leyen at the International Donors' Conference ‘Together for the people in Türkiye and Syria'

Thank you, dear Ulf,

I want to thank each and every one of our donors for your generous contributions. We know why we gathered here today. The World Health Organisation has qualified the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria as the worst natural disaster to hit the region in over a century. When tragedy strikes, there is only one answer, and that is solidarity. I am so glad to see today that the international community strongly supports the reconstruction efforts in Türkiye and Syria. Together, we have exceeded expectations. This is outstanding. Again, many, many thanks from my side.

And this Conference marks just the beginning. A lot of work is ahead of us. In the coming weeks, months and years, we will continue to work together. We will host a Donors' Conference in Brussels just for the people of Syria on 14 June. We will make sure that the pledges are fully delivered and on time. And we will make sure that our investment has the strongest impact on the ground – in full transparency and accountability. So to all of you: Thank you very much for showing the people of Syria and Türkiye that they are not alone. We care, and we are here to help.

Many thanks.

كلمة ختامية لرئيسة المفوضية أورسولا فون دير لاين في مؤتمر المانحين الدولي لدعم شعبي تركيا وسورية بعد الزلزال.