“The chemical ban "refuses to investigate Turkey's use of white phosphorus in Syria

ARK News: The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has refused to investigate allegations of Turkish forces using white phosphorus against civilians as part of its latest campaign in northeastern Syria, The Times reported.

The newspaper said in a report published on Saturday that the United Nations refused to examine samples from some civilians who were said to have been attacked by a chemical internationally banned for use in combat operations, on the grounds that these cases are outside the framework of its mandate.

The organization said in a statement issued in response to the newspaper's questions that these injuries were due to the thermal properties of phosphorus and not chemical, saying that cases of use of this substance to create a smokescreen, lighting or incendiary weapons are outside the scope of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

The Newspaper pointed out that those time-affected samples taken by a Kurdish medical team of the injured who were transferred for treatment in the Kurdistan region of Iraq have still presented there in a private refrigerator.

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