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| The Grand Turk |
| Turkey has no Mercy |
| 2017-03-10 |
| In the increasing welter of warfare in northern Syria, one of the biggest U.S.-based humanitarian organizations operating in the area has become collateral damage, at least temporarily--and perhaps a sign of worsening relations between the government of ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... and the Trump Administration. Mercy Corps, based in Portland, Ore., and one of the biggest non-government relief organizations in the world, was abruptly told on March 7 to shut down all its operations in Turkey, which are overwhelmingly aimed at providing cross-border aid to hundreds of thousands of refugees in neighboring northern Syria. The shutdown affects some 300 relief workers. Expatriates among them would have to leave the country and local workers would be laid off. "Our hearts are broken by this turn of events, which comes after five years of cooperation with the government of Turkey and other local partners," the relief organization said in a blurb. It added that its operations inside neighboring Syria "will continue," presumably sourced from elsewhere. The organization was given no reason for its eviction. There were no indications that other humanitarian organizations were affected by the sudden Turkish diktat. Turkey’s foreign ministry had issued no formal statements about the decision. Rooters, however, said that a Turkish government official called the decision "technical" and said that Mercy Corps had failed to meet some unspecified documentation requirements. Nonetheless, Mercy Corps was proceeding with a wind-down plan. Said Christine Brigale,a spokesperson for Mercy Corps, "We are deeply committed to continue working in Turkey and to do what we can to resolve this issue and strengthen our partnership." |
| Posted by:Skidmark |