Anadolu PostErdogan speaks to Suu Kyi on Rohingya issue

Send
International Desk
Published : 19:12, Sep 11, 2017 | Updated : 14:19, Sep 12, 2017


Erdogan calls Suu KyiPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Myanmar’s leader Suu Kyi on Tuesday about human rights violations committed against Rohingya Muslims, an official in the president’s office said. The telephone conversation with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi came as Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu prepared to leave for Bangladesh, where thousands of Rohingya have sought shelter in the face of a crackdown by Myanmar troops and Buddhist extremists.

Erdogan told Suu Kyi that escalated attacks on Rohingya had caused deep anxiety, particularly among Muslim countries, the official said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.They also discussed options for delivering humanitarian aid and resolving the crisis.According to the official, Erdogan condemned both terrorism and the use of disproportionate force. The president pledged Turkish support to end the violence.

Cavusoglu will travel to Bangladesh on Wednesday to speak to Rohingya refugees, a Foreign Ministry official said under condition of anonymity.He will visit a camp in Cox’s Bazar, a port near the border, and meet Bangladeshi officials.

Since the fresh violence erupted, Cavusoglu has spoken to his counterparts in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Qatar, and Iran in an effort to resolve the humanitarian crisis, the ministry official added.The interim head of the Religious Affairs Directorate, Ekrem Keles, met Rohingya representatives in Mecca on Tuesday.Salim Ullah Abdul Rahman, president of the Rohingya Solidarity Organization, praised Turkish support for the Rohingya.Keles said the directorate had begun organizing aid. The Turkish Red Crescent and the Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Authority are also involved in the aid effort.

Meanwhile, Christos Stylianides, the EU commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, called for aid workers to be allowed to reach thousands of people unable to escape the violence in Rakhine.Stylianides also called for a de-escalation in tension and for international human rights law to be observed, particularly in regard to civilians.The International Organization for Migration said refugees continued to arrive in Bangladesh despite the frontier closures.The UN High Commission for Refugees said an unknown number of Rohingya were stranded on the border.In the Netherlands, a Rohingya rights activist echoed Erdogan’s earlier call for Muslim leaders to intervene in Rakhine.

Top