ANKARA
In an exclusive interview with the Anadolu Agency (AA), Akar underlined that the feasibility works have been completed for the three field hospitals.
"One of the hospitals will be erected in a camp full of Muslims, another will be erected in a camp full of Buddhists and the third one will be erected in the Sittwe city center. The government of Myanmar does not permit foreign doctors to perform medical services in Myanmar. However, for the first time in history, Turkish doctors would provide medical services in the camp of the Muslims," Akar noted.
"We work with the Turkish Health Ministry and Doctors Worldwide. The project for the field hospitals will be implemented in cooperation with Doctors Worldwide. Every hospital will have 10 doctors and sufficient amount of health personnel. We will send five ambulances to Myanmar. Two of the ambulances will serve in the camp of Muslims while three others will serve in the camp of Buddhists," Akar indicated.
-Assistance to 12,000 families during Feast of Sacrifice-
"We take care of Muslims who had to migrate to Sittwe," Akar noted.
"We try to take care of Muslims who took shelter in Bangladesh after escaping from massacres in Arakan and now have to live in poor conditions. They number around 250,000. The United Nations have two camps there. However, only 30,000 people stay at such camps. Thousands of others need assistance. We organized a program in Sittwe region of Arakan right before the Feast of Sacrifice. We sent aid materials to 12,000 families during the Feast of Sacrifice with two military cargo planes. Food boxes were distributed on site. We sent items such as candies, toys and clothing from Turkey. Such assistance was sent to Sittwe by nine cargo planes. This way, the Muslims of Sittwe enjoyed the Feast of Sacrifice," Akar underlined.
"In Bangladesh, our citizens donated sacrificed meat to those living in Arakan. 2,800 animals were sacrificed in the region. Boxes of meat were distributed in the region. Bangladeshi government's stance is well. We can work here easily," Akar said.
-"We want to send them back to their villages"-
"We want to send back the Muslims, who have had to flee, back to their villages. We want to use the money we have collected for this purpose. Myanmar's officials have implemented projects whereby Muslims can live in large shelters at the camps. We have strongly rejected such projects. It is the government of Myanmar who must decide on the matter," Akar also said.
Reporting by Ali Ozturk
