UN AND SYRIAN NEIGHBORS CALL FOR MORE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR SYRIAN REFUGEES

       Geneva, 29 Shawwal 1434/5 September 2013 (MINA) – Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres and foreign ministers of Syrian neighboring countries called for ‘more international support’ for Syrian refugees. 

       Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, “If violence against civilians continues as happened before and no international reaction appears, we are afraid, the neighboring countries will receive more refugees.”

       Foreign ministers of Syrian neighboring countries, which shelter Syrian refugees, held a press conference at UN Geneva Office after they had convened at UN Refugee Agency, Anadolu Agency quoted by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

       Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu here stated that hundred percent of the Syrian refugees escaped from attacks of Assad regime and the UN’s investigation committee waited for four days so as to enter the region where chemical weapons were used, and the Assad regime continued to bomb to destroy the evidences in the region. 

        Reminding that UN also remained silent during the Srebrenica massacre, Davutoglu said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon went to Srebrenica 20 years after the massacre and apologized in name of international community and United Nations (UN), adding, “I am sure that another UN secretary general will visit East Ghouta and Damasus and apologize twenty years later if we do not take action. Turkey wishes UN Security Council to act jointly, but obstacles appeared and the crisis gradually escalated. We hope UN Security Council will act jointly and then we will support as well.”   

        Davutoglu also reminded a new threshold occured with the use of chemical weapons in Syria and timing of the meeting was very important.

        Noting UN Security Council could not agree on any statement over Syrian refugees which is a humanitarian event, Davutoglu said, “We may have different political stances and opinions, but we should have reached a resolution when humanitarian awareness and grief were in question.”  

        The minister also said the tension in Syria escalated, adding, “If violence against civilians continues as happened before and no international reaction appears, we are afraid, the neighboring countries will receive more refugees.”

        Syrian regime used chemical weapons which is a crime and it should not be left unanswered, otherwise more crimes will be committed, said Davutoglu.

        Saying that the Syrian crisis was absorbed with the efforts of Turkey and neighboring countries, Davutoglu noted that the dimensions of crisis would have been worse if these countries had not sheltered Syrian refugees. 

        UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs Wael Abu Faour also attended the press conference. (T/P09/E1).

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).