12/01/2012 President
Strasbourg, 12.01.2012 – The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), on an official visit to Turkey, has expressed warm appreciation to the Turkish authorities for their generous treatment of Syrians fleeing the violence in their country.
Speaking at the end of a visit to refugee camps in Turkey’s Hatay region, which borders Syria, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said: “The Turkish response to the Syrian refugee crisis has been swift, efficient and generous. The camps that have been set up are of a high standard, providing shelter and warmth in the depths of winter to a traumatised population.”
However the President also repeated the Assembly’s call on Turkey to lift its geographical limitation on the 1951 Geneva Convention on Refugees so that non-Europeans are also able to obtain refugee status in Turkey: “This would allow those who cannot or do not wish to return to Syria to benefit from longer-term international protection.”
Referring to the ongoing crisis in Syria, Mr Çavuşoğlu again urged the Syrian authorities to immediately cease violence against their own people and to honour their agreement with the Arab League: “The continuing bloodshed is unacceptable. Syria must stop killing its own people – including children – and start finding a way to enable peaceful democratic transition.” He also expressed concern at the death of the French TV journalist killed in Syria yesterday during a government-authorised trip, and expressed sympathy to his family.
The President continues his official visit to Turkey with a visit to Antalya tomorrow, where he will address students at Akdeniz University.