Syrians’ tent camp in Hatay evacuated

HATAY / KİLİS

A tent camp in southeastern Turkey, organized for Syrians fleeing the violence of their home country, was evacuated due to a decrease in migrants staying there, Anatolia news agency reported.

A complete evacuation of the tent camp located in the southeastern province of Hatay’s Reyhanlı district occurred May 16 as the number of Syrians staying in the camp decreased over time. The last 68 occupants of the camp, which was established on June 19, 2011, were sent to other camps in neighboring provinces of Kilis, Şanlıurfa and Gaziantep. If more Syrians come to the area the tent camp will be reinstalled, according to officials.

Syrians injures 3 Turkish police

A group of Syrian migrants, who had settled in empty containers without permission in Turkey’s southeastern province of Kilis, threw stones at and slightly wounded three Turkish police officers, who were attempting to move them out of the containers.

Turkish police learned that the Syrians, who were fleeing the ongoing violence in their country, had settled in some empty containers without the permission of authorities, Doğan news agency reported.

Police attempted to move the Syrians from the containers on May 15, but were attacked with stones, which wounded three policemen and damaged their cars and some official buildings. Hundreds of police officers and gendarmerie was sent to the scene following the incident. The three wounded police officers were discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment.

Kilis Deputy Governor Erkan Çapar and the chief of the provincial Police Department, Mehmet Akpınar, came to the camp. Authorities made announcements in Arabic to lower the tension. Çapar and Akpınar met with the Syrians and negotiated with them to end the tension in the camp.

Meanwhile, The Turkish Prime Ministry’s Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said in a written statement on May 15 that there were 22,733 Syrians currently staying in Turkey, Anatolia news agency reported. AFAD said Syrian citizens taking shelter in Turkey are being provided with lodging, food, health services, security, social activities, education, religious services, translation services and communications assistance. AFAD said 159 Syrians entered Turkey on May 14 and 15, and that 49 of those people returned to Syria of their own volition over the same two days.