Turkey urges UN to act on refugee crisis in Iraq, Syria


U.N. agencies and non-governmental organizations must coordinate efforts to further help displaced people in Iraq and Syria, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said. "The U.N. must act urgently to deal with the growing refugee crisis in the region," Çavuşoğlu told reporters Friday following a U.N. Security Council meeting on Iraq.The minister said that Turkey's humanitarian support was ongoing, with three camps now welcoming 35,000 people and assistance being given to 38,000 refugees. "Only yesterday [Thursday], Turkey welcomed 10,000 displaced people fleeing ISIL,"Çavuşoğlu said, adding that Turkey would continue to pursue an open-door policy. "We cannot close the door on people fleeing from the oppressive Syrian regime or the pressure and attacks of other groups," he said. "This number will keep increasing unless stability is restored in Iraq and Syria,"Çavuşoğlu said. Around 45,000 Syrian Kurds fleeing a large-scale ISIL attack on the border region entered Turkey's southeastern Şanliurfa and Gaziantep provinces on Friday. "After Turkey opened the border gates, 45,000 Syrian Kurds entered through eight checkpoints from Akcakale to Mursitpinar, just across [the border] from Kobani. We accommodated them in newly built tents near the border," Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş told reporters Saturday.He added: "In no other place in the world, no country, regardless of how good their economic conditions are, could accommodate some 45,000 refugees at one time. This shows the strength and good intentions of Turkey."On the other side of the coin, the U.N. has praised Turkey's actions in opening a section of its border with Syria to allow fleeing Kurds to cross to safety as "right and humane."In a statement late on Friday, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said: "The UNHCR applauds Turkey's prompt action in ensuring safe haven for and extending support to Syrian-Kurdish civilians seeking to cross its borders from new fighting in northern Syria in the area around the town of Ayn Al-Arab."Turkey accepted 45,000 Kurdish refugees fleeing an ISIL assault on their villages and the border city of Ayn Al-Arab, known as Kobane in Kurdish. The refugee agency reported that the city was surrounded on three sides by militants and voiced concerns over possible further displacement in the coming days. Amin Awad, the UNHCR Middle East director, said, "It is of life-saving importance that these people have access to safe haven. "Turkey is already hosting a very substantial population of Syrian refugees, and its capacities are being tested. Its actions today in ensuring that borders are open to people fleeing the latest violence was right and humane in a very difficult situation." The agency noted that Turkey currently hosts at least 847,266 Syrian refugees.