Mass exodus
June 10, 2011
Thousands of Syrian refugees have fled violence in their country to Turkey, crowding camps set up by the Turkish government along the border, officials said Friday.
The total number of refugees sheltering in a tent encampment just north of the border at Yayladagi was at least 1,700 on Thursday night. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Thursday that 2,400 people had crossed into Turkey.
"Syria is causing concern for us," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Turkish radio. But he insisted that Turkey has no plans to limit the influx: "We will always keep our doors open to our Syrian brothers and sisters."
It is believed that most of the refugees came from the town of Jisr al-Shughur, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Turkish border, where conflict has escalated dramatically in recent days.
Under control
Among the refugees crossing through barbed wire or unguarded stretches of the border were dozens of injured. They claimed they had sustained the injuries as a result of government crackdowns.
Despite the mass influx of refugees, Turkey has issued assurances that the situation is in hand.
On Wednesday, Davutoglu described the influx from Syria as "absolutely not desirable" but stressed the government had taken "all the necessary precautions" and the situation was "under control."
Conscious that refugees would cross from Syria into Turkey, authorities have been making preparations for several weeks.
The government is keen to avoid a repeat of the humanitarian crisis of 1981, when dozens of Iraqi Kurds died of disease and injuries after fleeing into Turkey following a major offensive by Saddam Hussein's forces.
The news agency Anatolia reported that plans were already in place to meet the increased demand for shelter with a second refugee camp.
International condemnation
Despite previously enjoying close ties with Syria, Erdogan has condemned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and has pushed him to introduce government reforms. He has stopped short, however, of calling for al-Assad to step down.
Meanwhile, a draft UN resolution proposed by Britain, France, Germany and Portugal has also denounced repression in Syria and demands humanitarian access.
"The world cannot be silent when every day people in Syria, who are doing nothing but standing up for their legitimate human and civil rights, are being killed and tortured," said German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.
"Germany and its partners are requesting from the Security Council ... a strong signal to the Syrian leadership to stop the use of force against its own people immediately."
Russia, however, has opposed UN Security Council involvement, fearing it could destabilize Syria, which it sees as having strategic importance in the Middle East.
Since the Syrian anti-government movement began in mid-March, the authorities have launched a brutal crackdown on unprecedented protests.
Thousands have taken to the street, opposing al-Assad’s four-decade grip on power.
Rights groups say more than 1,100 civilians have lost their lives during the unrest, while Syrian authorities say more than 200 security personnel have also been killed.
Author: Charlotte Chelsom-Pill (AFP, Reuters)
Editor: Martin Kuebler