Turkey to send aid to Rohingyas

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkey has taken the initiative to provide humanitarian aid to Muslim Rohingyas who are victims of sectarian violence in western Burma, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said yesterday.

Davutoğlu said he had already been in contact with Bangladesh’s foreign minister concerning the issue, adding that he would also hold a telephone conversation with the foreign minister of Myanmar later in the day, speaking in a live interview with the private Kanal24 television channel.

Clashes stopped but tension prevails
Although the clashes stopped some time ago, tension prevails in the region, Davutoğlu said, underlining the need for urgent humanitarian aid.

As of Thursday, the European Union had expressed concern regarding the violence in western Burma’s Arakan State and called on the government to let humanitarian organizations reach the victims. The European Commission issued a statement related to the sectarian violence, which has gripped the region since early June.

“The Commission appeals to both Myanmar and Bangladesh to allow humanitarian organizations access to the victims,” the statement said.