Erdogan says Turkey will send 10,000 tonnes aid to Myanmar’s Rohingya

Turkey will provide 10,000 tonnes of aid to help Rohingya Muslims who have fled violence in Myanmar, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

Turkey will provide 10,000 tonnes of aid to help Rohingya Muslims who have fled violence in Myanmar, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

Rohingya refugees walk on the muddy path after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Teknaf, Bangladesh September 1, 2017. Picture taken September 1, 2017. (REUTERS)

“I spoke with (Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi) yesterday. They opened the doors after our call,” Erdogan told a meeting of his ruling AK Party in Ankara.

He said Turkish aid agency TIKA was already delivering 1,000 tonnes of aid to camps for the displaced. “The second stage is 10,000 tonnes. Aid will be distributed,” Erdogan said.

Around 150,000 Rohingyas have fled northwest Myanmar to Bangladesh since violence broke out on August 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked dozens of police posts and an army base. The ensuing clashes and a military counter-offensive have killed at least 400 people.