Turkey to stand beside Rohingyas: First lady

Visiting Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan today affirmed that the government of Turkey will stand beside the Rohingyas, who have fled to Bangladesh in the face of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar's Rakhine.

Emine Erdogan came up with the affirmation while visiting refugees at Rohingya camp in Kutupalang of Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhia upazila this afternoon.

“Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will take up the issue at the UN General Assembly in a bid to bring an immediate resolution to the Rohingya crisis,” the first lady said while replying to reporters’ query.

Emine Erdogan was accompanied by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, deputy commissioner of Cox’s Bazar, the district superintendent of police and other top-level government officials of both countries, , reports our local correspondent from the spot.

Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu earlier told media that the first lady would have “close contact” with Rohingyas who had escaped from Myanmar.

After coming back from Cox's Bazar, the Turkish first lady and the foreign minister will call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and discuss the Rohingya issue to find a lasting solution to this decades-long humanitarian crisis.

Earlier, a special aircraft carrying Turkey’s First Lady Emine Erdogan and her entourage landed at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka around 3:00am today.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam received her at the airport. 

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu arrived in Dhaka in another aircraft earlier.

The visit followed the latest bloodshed in Myanmar's Rakhine state that resulted in the fresh influx of Rohingyas into Bangladesh.

On August 31, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called his Bangladesh counterpart Abdul Hamid and talked about the current state of the Rohingya crisis. The Turkish president supported measures over the Rohingya issue taken by Bangladesh.

Erdogan expressed concern over the ongoing violence in the Rakhine State and assured the Bangladesh president of full support and cooperation to Dhaka.