The FINANCIAL — Nothing else matters when the issue is about humanitarian need and Turkey will not keep its distance from Syrians who are in need of help, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has stated in response to questions over a possible massive exodus from Syria to Turkey, underlining that Turkey would prefer Syrians' well-being at home without the need for such an exodus. Davutoğlu's remarks came in the town of Kulu in Konya on Saturday, the second day of a three-day electioneering campaign in the run-up to the parliamentary elections on June 12. On Friday evening, Davutoğlu took a break in his program in Konya and went to Ankara for a coordination meeting with senior-level officials.
More than 200 Syrians crossed the border into Turkey earlier on Friday, seeking refuge from a deadly crackdown on protesters.
The meeting held at Davutoğlu’s official residence was joined by Interior Minister Osman Güneş; Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Aslan Güner; head of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Hakan Fidan, who last week led a delegation visiting Syria last week; Turkey’s Ambassador to Syria Ömer Önhon and senior officials from both the Foreign Ministry and the Prime Ministry. Davutoğlu returned to Konya to continue his campaign on Saturday morning.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, the minister downplayed the fact that the meeting was hastily organized, saying that it should be considered a routine coordination meeting. Davutoğlu explained that he called both President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after the meeting and informed them of their decisions.
“We have always supported the legitimate demands of the people in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria. Turkey has a principled manner on this issue. At the same time, as a country that feels responsible for the future of the region, we have done our best for the peaceful progress of these transition periods,” Davutoğlu said, calling Syria “our most important neighbor, whose destiny is our destiny.”
Davutoğlu also noted that he held two separate telephone conversations with his Syrian counterpart, Walid al-Moallem, on Friday, adding that the information he gathered from Moallem was also assessed at the coordination meeting. Asked whether he thought that the refugee flow from Syria would continue in the coming days, he said it depended on developments.
“Turkey has always made all kinds of sacrifices for humanitarian causes. There is no reason to object when there are humanitarian reasons. Particularly the peoples in the neighboring countries are our siblings. When they have humanitarian needs, it is out of the question for us to keep our distance. That was the case with Libya, too,” Davutoğlu said, underlining that Turkey hoped that no exodus from Syria would take place so that stability is not harmed and the transition period continues in the proper direction.
“Let everybody live in his hometown, city, town and village in peace. This is our wish, but when there is an undesired situation; the Republic of Turkey has much experience [in such refuge inflows],” he said.
‘No change on visa-free regime’
During the first Gulf War, some 450,000 Iraqi Kurdish refugees climbed over snow-capped mountains to cross into Turkey. At the time, with only 20,000 tents on hand, the Turkish government found itself scrambling to shelter and feed far more people than it had anticipated. Iraqis who arrived in Turkey in groups after the Iran-Iraq war between 1980 and 1988 and after the Gulf crisis of 1991 formed the biggest group of asylum seekers in Turkey.
“No matter what their ethnic roots and religious sects are, all Syrians are our siblings. God willing, there will be no need for such a thing [exodus], but when it happens, as it was last night [Friday], we will accommodate them, they will be our guests and they will return home as soon as possible.”
Davutoğlu was also asked whether they discussed temporarily suspending the visa-free regime with Syria at the coordination meeting.
“No, it is out of question. In this regard, we don’t take back the steps that we have taken. We have stated that we will lift everything that stands as a barrier between our people. What matters is the eternality of the friendship between the people of Turkey and Syria and that they open their hearts, doors and homes to each other forever,” Davutoğlu responded.
In September 2009, upon a decision taken by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Turkish prime minister during the former’s visit to İstanbul on Sept. 16, the two neighbors mutually canceled visa requirements for their citizens. Accordingly, passport-holding Turkish citizens no longer need an entry visa to visit Syria for tourism for 90 days or less; and vice versa, Syrian citizens who carry valid passports of any kind can travel to Turkey without an entry visa, as long as their visit does not exceed 90 days.
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