Turkish commander visits Syrian border

KİLİS - Doğan News Agency

Land Forces Commander Gen Hayri Kıvrıkoğlu (2nd L) visits Kilis province, bordering with Syira. Kıvrıkoğlu also visits Kilis Governor Yusuf Odabaş. AA photo

Land Forces Commander Gen. Hayri Kıvrıkoğlu visited the southeastern province of Kilis yesterday, where the clashes in Syria could be heard near the border.

Gen. Servet Yörüklü, the commander of the Second Army, also accompanied Kıvrıkoğlu during the visit. The generals first arrived in the İskenderun district of Hatay province, also on the Syrian border, and then headed to Kilis. Kıvrıkoğlu also visited the container camp in the city hosting Syrian refugees.

Amnesty petition for missing journalists
Meanwhile, Amnesty International has opened an online petition for two Turkish journalists that have been missing in Syria since March 10. Adem Özköse, a 34-year-old reporter, and Hamit Coşkun, a 21-year-old cameraman, were last heard from 18 days ago in northeastern province of Idlib. The petition calls on “the Syrian authorities to immediately reveal the fate and whereabouts” of Özköse and Coşkun and demands their release if they are in the custody of Syrian authorities.

An official from the Turkish Foreign Ministry has informed Amnesty that “the ministry has written to the Syrian authorities to obtain information,” said the organization. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ said they knew the missing journalists were alive and Syrian authorities had this information as well, news channel NTV yesterday.