A high level delegation of Turkey led by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu visited Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, on August 10 to assess the needs of those displaced by communal violence between Arakanese Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims and “bring international attention to the plight of suffering Rohingya Muslims.”
Davutoglu toured temporary shelters where victims have taken refuge and also helped distribute aid to those affected by the sectarian strife, according to residents in Sittwe.
Before flying to Arakan State, Davutoglu met with Burmese President Thein Sein in Naypyidaw on August 9. He also met several government officials including Immigration Minister Khin Yi, Minister for Border Affairs Lt-Gen Thein Htay, his Burmese counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin and Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
During his meeting with Thein Sein, Davutoglu said that his country sees the unrest in Arakan State as a humanitarian situation in which both Muslim and Buddhist communities must be provided with aid.
“The Rakhine [Arakan] issue should not tarnish the positive image of Myanmar. The misunderstanding of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation [OIC] countries could be prevented by allowing international assistance,” Davutoglu was quoted as saying.
Davutoglu advised that sectarian propaganda could be minimised by allowing independent international organisations access to report from the ground.
He said that the Myanmar government’s decision to grant their visit reflects Turkey’s influence in the international field. “Myanmar did not do the same for any other countries. Our ambassador worked hard,” said Davutoglu. Davutoglu stated that the government in Myanmar was only allowing United Nations (UN) and their members of staff to get into the Arakan region.
Davutoglu stated that what the Western world can do about the Rohingya Muslims is limited and said that they will ask Indonesia to cooperate with Turkey regarding the Rohingya Muslims under the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Meanwhile, the Turkish Prime Ministry’s Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) has stated that so far they have collected TL 2.1 million in their aid campaign for Muslims in Myanmar, who are facing violence and discrimination.
The delegation included Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spouse and daughter, Davutoglu’s spouse, several deputies, bureaucrats, representatives of charities and journalists.