Turkish head of chemical weapons watchdog honored

PARIS

The Turkish head of the global chemical weapons watchdog was awarded France’s highest honor on Tuesday.

Ahmet Uzumcu, 64, received the Legion d'Honneur in Paris from Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.

The award follows the recognition of the work of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in ridding Syria of chemical weapons with the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.

“This reward encourages me more,” Uzumcu told journalists at the foreign ministry. “In the following days, we have important missions both about Syria and other issues. We will realize them with success.”

Uzumcu, from Armutlu, Yalova province, became the director general of the OPCW in 2009 following a career as a diplomat.