Dr Andrew Murrison, Britain’s Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, visited Ankara and Gaziantep, Turkey, on February 5th and 6th 2020, to discuss a raft of regional issues, with the worsening humanitarian crisis in Idlib, Syria, topping the agenda.
In Ankara, the Minister met with Turkey’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal, Presidential Adviser Ibrahim Kalin and Deputy Defence Minister Yunus Emre Karaosmanoğlu.
Their discussions spanned “regional issues including Iran and Iraq, the ongoing need to confront Daesh, the Middle East peace process, as well as the conflicts in Syria and Libya”, according to a statement from the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
The growing crisis in Idlib – the last rebel strong-hold – was of particular concern for the two NATO allies.
Turkey has forces inside Syria as it tries to maintain the peace amongst different factions. However, the situation has deteriorated significantly in recent weeks due to escalating military action by the Assad regime, which is backed by Russia.
Deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Idlib
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), over 115,000 civilians were displaced in less than 6 days after a ground offensive began on 24 January.
The SOHR claim the total number of people forced from their homes across rural areas south of Idlib and west of Aleppo between 1 December 2019 and the end of January 2020 rose to nearly 580,000 civilians, creating a major new refugee crisis.
An estimated 390,000 people have fled northwest Syria between Dec 1 and Jan 27, according to the UN. Backed by Russian air strikes, Syrian regime forces have captured dozens of towns in Idlib and raised the spectre of a new refugee crisis#radioeastmedpic.twitter.com/lTAN6Vx2Rh
Turkey has increased its military presence in Syria, sending more trucks and troops in the past few days after an attack by Syrian government forces killed at least five of its soldiers and three civilians attached to the Turkish army.
Dr Murrison travelled to Gaziantep, eastern Turkey, to witness first-hand the impact of the conflict, and how British aid is assisting Turkey in hosting more refugees than any other country in the world.
The Minister talked to refugees who had fled the conflict. He also met with the heads of UN agencies in Gaziantep, and representatives of Syrian and Turkish civil society organisations.
UK commits £2.81 billion to Syrian refugees – its largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis
Dr Murrison meets aid workers in Gaziantep, eastern Turkey. 6 Feb. 2020. Photo © Twitter/Andrew Murrison
