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| The Grand Turk |
| Turkish border crossing closed as Syrians flee |
| 2016-02-07 |
| Turkey's foreign minister said Saturday his country would keep its “open border policy” for refugees, but did not indicate when thousands of Syrians camped out near a closed frontier post could cross. “We still keep this open border policy for these people fleeing from the aggression from the regime as well as air strikes of Russia,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said as he left a meeting with his EU counterparts in Amsterdam. “We have received already 5,000 of them, another 50,000 to 55,000 are on their way and we cannot leave them there alone because air strikes are ongoing and also regime forces supported by Iran Shia militias are attacking these civilians as well.” A senior government official says Turkey is caring for some 30-35,000 displaced Syrians on the Syrian side of the border but had no immediate plans to let them in. Governor Suleyman Tapsiz of the border province of Kilis said Saturday Turkey had the ability to care for the Syrians inside Syria for the time being but had made preparations to allow them in in the event of an “extraordinary crisis.” He did not elaborate. Earlier, Turkey appeared to be preparing for a new influx of refugees fleeing a major offensive by Syria’s Russian-backed regime, with tens of thousands of Syrians camped out near the border crossing. The United Nations said some 20,000 people have gathered at the Bab al-Salam crossing, hoping to reach Turkey, which already hosts more than two million refugees from the bloody conflict. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights for its part estimated some 40,000 people had been forced to leave their homes since last Monday. Turkish authorities were working to free up space within the existing camps along the Syrian border to accommodate the new arrivals. Opposition forces and some 350,000 civilians were inside the rebel-held Aleppo city, which was targeted in the government offensive. An AFP correspondent saw trucks carrying parts for tents Friday to the refugee camp close to the border gate on the Turkish side which faces the Bab al-Salam crossing on Syrian soil. At least four Turkish aid trucks were also seen returning to Turkey after making deliveries of food to the Syrian side of the border. Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said in a statement that it had finalized preparations for a possible influx. |
| Posted by:Steve White |