Erdo?an visits Syrian refugee camps in ?anl?urfa

11 years ago | Posted in: Latest Politics News | 905 Views

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has completed a visit to two camps housing Syrian refugees in Ceylanp?nar and Akçakale, towns in the southern province of ?anl?urfa along the border with Syria on Sunday.

Erdo?an arrived in ?anl?urfa early on Saturday for a two-day visit. The prime minister, accompanied by his wife and daughter as well as several other government ministers, attended a combined inauguration ceremony for a number of facilities in the province.

“More than 100 countries now have accepted the leadership of brother al-Khatib and his team. What does this mean? It means that more than 100 countries no longer recognize Assad. It means that Assad should go,” said Erdo?an while addressing the residents of Akçakale and Syrians living in Akçakale.

Erdo?an delivered his remarks as the leader of the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces, Ahmad Muaz al-Khatib, stood beside him.

“Leaders not accepted by their people cannot remain in power,” Erdo?an added.

While addressing the Syrians in Ceylanp?nar, Erdo?an said that Turkey has opened its doors to its Syrian brothers and sisters. “Ceylanp?nar is an important place and it is facing many problems. I assume these problems will continue for a while. But the brutal Syrian regime can no longer survive in Syria,” said Erdo?an.

In a statement last week, the Prime Ministry’s Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said 144,755 Syrians are currently staying in 13 tent cities and a container city in the southern provinces along the border with Syria. The tent cities are located in the provinces of Hatay, ?anl?urfa, Gaziantep, Kahramanmara?, Osmaniye and Ad?yaman, while the container city hosting 12,000 people is in Kilis.

The total count also includes 624 Syrians who are in Turkish hospitals receiving treatment for injuries and 98 family members accompanying them, according to AFAD. In addition to those who are accommodated in Turkish camps, some 59,100 Syrians have entered Turkey in the course of the 21-month-old crisis, but then later returned home.

Turkey, a staunch opponent of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has offered support for the anti-regime opposition forces and let in Syrian refugees fleeing the violence.

Turkish PM says upheaval in war-torn Syria about to end

Erdo?an also said that Ankara has started to receive what he called “strong signals” that the 21-month-old uprising in Syria is coming to an end in favor of the Syrian opposition.

“This bloody, this despotic process that has continued for nearly two years is nearing an end. A government that meets the demands of people in Syria — God willing — will come to power soon,” Erdo?an said on Saturday at a meeting in ?anl?urfa.

Noting that Syria is moving through a painful and bloody period, Erdo?an said this process has economically hurt ?anl?urfa. He added that militarily, Ankara changed its rules of engagement to meet the Syrian threat more effectively after a mortar shell killed five Turkish nationals in Akçakale.

Syrian rebels are fighting a 21-month-old revolt against the Assad regime. Activists say more than 40,000 people have been killed in the crisis, which began with pro-democracy protests but has morphed into a civil war.

With steady opposition gains across the north, the embattled Assad regime is having increasing difficulty sending supplies by land to Aleppo province, especially after opposition fighters cut a major thoroughfare from Damascus. This is just another sign that the opposition is consolidating its grip across large swathes of territory in northern Syria near the Turkish border.

Over the weeks, the armed opposition fighting to overthrow Assad has also been able to take the battles into the capital Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, where the southern neighborhoods are witnessing almost daily clashes between troops and opposition fighters.

The big successes for the opposition began in mid-November, when opposition fighters captured Aleppo’s Regiment 46, a large military base, carting off tanks, armored vehicles and truck-loads of munitions. Three weeks later, they captured the Sheik Suleiman base near the provincial capital of Aleppo and days later took an infantry base in the city.

Saying that the crackdown by the Syrian regime is coming to an end, Erdo?an said the two nations will strengthen their cooperation. Noting that his administration had been criticized as the Syrian crisis became protracted, Erdo?an stressed that his government will take no heed of criticism and will not allow it to affect its stance regarding the crisis.

Erdo?an recalled the capture of Syrian airports by opposition fighters, which he said prompted the Assad regime to use Scud missiles. “No matter what Assad does, the people will triumph. You need not worry about that. Maybe the price will be heavy and difficult to pay. But sooner or later, the Syrian people will prevail.”

ref: http://www.todayszaman.com

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