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TURKEY NOT POSITIVE ON ARMENIA BORDER
ANKARA - Hurriyet Daily News
The burnt interior of Armenian Kevork Church in Aleppo, Syria is
seen after clashes. Many of the Armenians had fled from the Syrian
violence. REUTERS photo
Sevil KucukkoÅ~_um [email protected] Turkey is not
positive about opening its land border with Armenia to facilitate
Syrian-Armenians' entrance to the country, as suggested by a petition
on the White House's official website.
Turkey is providing all kinds of facilities for the transfer of
humanitarian aid sent from Armenia to Armenians living in Syria,
Selcuk Unal, the spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, said
yesterday in a written statement.
The signature collection campaign started on the White House's website
for Turkey's unconditional opening of the border with Armenia for
the Syrian refugees.
"Turkey will determine the content, method and conditions of the steps
on its own with regard to the demands that may come on humanitarian
issues," said the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Turkey assists people "without making distinction in terms of religion,
language, race and ethnic origin as a natural consequence of the
understanding of conscience inherited from ancestors," said the
statement. The ministry recalled that Turkey was a prominent country
extending aid to Armenia after earthquakes. moreover, it facilitated
delivering of humanitarian assistance to Armenians in Syria.
Turkey shelters more than 150,000 people with no distinction on the
basis of religion, language, race and ethnic origin, the statement
said, adding that many Armenians had fled from Syria and arrived in
Armenia through Turkey.
The campaign on the White House's website has political purposes
rather than reflecting realities on the ground, a Turkish official
told the Hurriyet Daily News.
If fleeing the country, any Syrian Armenian would fly from Hatay
to Armenia rather than take the land route, which is thousands of
kilometers long, the official added.
Ready to open special refugee camp
A Turkish official said Turkey was ready to open a special refugee
camp for non-Muslims, but there was no demand yet.
There are a small number of non-Muslims in the camps for Syrian
refugees, but Turkey is ready to facilitate a special camp for them if
high numbers of non-Muslim refugees flee into Turkey and ask for it,
according to the official.
There were no Syrian Armenians registered in the camps, the official
also said.
January/17/2013
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-not-positive-on-armenia-border.aspx?pageID=238&nID=39249&NewsCatID=338
ANKARA - Hurriyet Daily News
The burnt interior of Armenian Kevork Church in Aleppo, Syria is
seen after clashes. Many of the Armenians had fled from the Syrian
violence. REUTERS photo
Sevil KucukkoÅ~_um [email protected] Turkey is not
positive about opening its land border with Armenia to facilitate
Syrian-Armenians' entrance to the country, as suggested by a petition
on the White House's official website.
Turkey is providing all kinds of facilities for the transfer of
humanitarian aid sent from Armenia to Armenians living in Syria,
Selcuk Unal, the spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, said
yesterday in a written statement.
The signature collection campaign started on the White House's website
for Turkey's unconditional opening of the border with Armenia for
the Syrian refugees.
"Turkey will determine the content, method and conditions of the steps
on its own with regard to the demands that may come on humanitarian
issues," said the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Turkey assists people "without making distinction in terms of religion,
language, race and ethnic origin as a natural consequence of the
understanding of conscience inherited from ancestors," said the
statement. The ministry recalled that Turkey was a prominent country
extending aid to Armenia after earthquakes. moreover, it facilitated
delivering of humanitarian assistance to Armenians in Syria.
Turkey shelters more than 150,000 people with no distinction on the
basis of religion, language, race and ethnic origin, the statement
said, adding that many Armenians had fled from Syria and arrived in
Armenia through Turkey.
The campaign on the White House's website has political purposes
rather than reflecting realities on the ground, a Turkish official
told the Hurriyet Daily News.
If fleeing the country, any Syrian Armenian would fly from Hatay
to Armenia rather than take the land route, which is thousands of
kilometers long, the official added.
Ready to open special refugee camp
A Turkish official said Turkey was ready to open a special refugee
camp for non-Muslims, but there was no demand yet.
There are a small number of non-Muslims in the camps for Syrian
refugees, but Turkey is ready to facilitate a special camp for them if
high numbers of non-Muslim refugees flee into Turkey and ask for it,
according to the official.
There were no Syrian Armenians registered in the camps, the official
also said.
January/17/2013
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-not-positive-on-armenia-border.aspx?pageID=238&nID=39249&NewsCatID=338