TURKEY: Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu visits camp housing Syrian refugees and tours roadside adjacent to Syrian border

Record ID: 345825

  • Title: TURKEY: Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu visits camp housing Syrian refugees and tours roadside adjacent to Syrian border
  • Date: 16th June 2011
  • Summary: HATAY, TURKEY (JUNE 15, 2011) (REUTERS) CONVOY OF CARS CARRYING TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER AHMET DAVUTOGLU DAVUTOGLU WALKING ON ROAD BORDERING SYRIA SECURITY ON ROAD AND REFUGEES CHANTING SECURITY STANDING GUARD VARIOUS OF DAVUTOGLU AND OFFICIALS ON ROAD PARALLEL TO REFUGEES TURKISH MINISTRY OFFICIALS AND SECURITY DAVUTOGLU HEADING TO HIS CAR DAVUTOGLU VISITING FIELD HOSPITAL SECURITY AT FIELD HOSPITAL TENTS DAVUTOGLU DEPARTING YAYLADAGI CAMP DAVUTOGLU VISITING SYRIAN REFUGEES VARIOUS OF REFUGEES CHANTING DAVUTOGLU SURROUNDED BY REFUGEES SECURITY FENCE AROUND THE CAMP DAVUTOGLU SURROUNDED BY REFUGEES REFUGEES WALKING THROUGH CAMP DAVUTOGLU WITH REFUGEES VARIOUS OF REFUGEE CAMP
  • Embargoed: 1st July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey, Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: International Relations,Social Services / Welfare
  • Reuters ID: LVA4MLBNU43IDFC408ZXR7MPORNS
  • Story Text: Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Wednesday (June 15) travelled to the border with Syria where refugees gathered along the roadside.
    Davutoglu visited the Hatay region of southern Turkey to talk to Syrian refugees and gather first-hand information on their conditions before meeting President Bashar al-Assad's envoy Hassan Turkmani who was holding talks in Ankara.
    The once-close relationship between Turkey and Syria appears close to breaking point. Turkmani will face Turkish impatience over Syria's repressive tactics and slowness to reform, as well as anger over a burgeoning humanitarian crisis.
    Davutoglu also toured one of the refugee camps in Turkey's Hatay province, across from the Syrian city of Jisr al-Shughour, just 20 km (13 miles) from the border.
    Media have been barred from entering the camps by Turkish authorities, who say any pictures of the Syrians could put them or their families in danger back home.
    Refugees could be heard chanting slogans demanding the end of the regime in Syria during Davutoglu's visit.
    By Wednesday morning, some 8,500 Syrian refugees were lodged in tented camps on Turkey's side of the border.
    A Turkish Red Crescent official, who requested anonymity, said more tent camps, able to shelter 10,000 people, were being set up near the Turkish city of Mardin and the town of Nusaybin.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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