DHAKA: Turkey’s first lady Emine Erdogan will arrive in Dhaka in the night on Wednesday (September 06) to meet Rohingya Muslims who fled persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu is also coming in Bangladesh amid the ongoing tragedy of tens of thousands Rohingya Muslims forced to flee the violence in Myanmar. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will arrive here in night.
“Mrs. Emine Erdogan will travel to Bangladesh today (Wednesday) where she will meet our Muslim brothers who fled oppression in Arakan or Rakhine state”, Deputy Prime Minister Hakan Cavusoglu said in a live interview with Turkish broadcaster ATV on Wednesday.
Turkey media published the report on Wednesday.
“Many of our Muslim brothers have taken shelter in Bangladesh after fleeing persecution in the region,” said Cavusoglu.
He noted that President Erdogan, who is also the term president of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has been discussing the issue with several Muslim leaders to find a solution.
Myanmar’s government on Tuesday (September 05) allowed the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) to distribute 1,000 tons of aid to Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state.
The permission from Myanmar came hours after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s telephone call with Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on the recent violations of human rights in Rakhine.
As uncertainty and security concerns continue in the region, the aid will be distributed to conflict areas via military helicopters in coordination with the Rakhine state government, Cavusoglu said.
“The helicopters will land on the ground. And the distribution will be done from the ground.”
He said that TIKA has two coordination offices in the region and that two of its officials would travel there by helicopter to monitor the distribution process. “We will supply vital needs to 100,000 families.”
“Emergency needs will be provided for now. In addition to this, discussions [with the authorities] are underway. We will continue our cooperation to supply medicine and similar vital needs," he added.
Cavusoglu said the humanitarian assistance may have already started to be distributed in the region.
He added that this would not be a one-time event as Turkey wants to continue to supply the necessary humanitarian aid to the region.
“Not only to deliver food supplies or vital needs, but I presume that, as the result of the influential diplomacy from our honorable president, the other problems would be solved in the region as well, as it would be the beginning of solving the political problems too. Because if we look at his telephone discussion, it is obvious that the humanitarian situation, terrorist groups in the region, the future of the region are all cited. So this is the key,” he added.
Separately from the first lady's visit, a Turkish delegation including Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and TIKA head Serdar Cam is to visit Bangladesh on Wednesday and are scheduled to meet Rohingya in the Cox’s Bazar district of southeastern Bangladesh.
“Also our Turkish Coordination and Cooperation Agency [TİKA] head and our foreign minister, who is currently in Azerbaijan, will head to Bangladesh to meet, contact and provide aid opportunities there,” he said.
Çavuşoğlu also added that Turkish aid that was allowed to be delivered by Myanmar on Sept. 5 might have already started to reach Rohingya Muslims.
Presidential spokesperson İbrahim Kalın had stated that Myanmar would allow Turkey to deliver 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Rohingya Muslims, after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke to Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on the phone.
Turkey warns Myanmar over use of disproportionate force against Rohingya Muslims, Turkish media reported on Tuesday (September 05).
BDST: 1740 HRS, SEP 06, 2017
EHJ
