A Delegation from USCMO met at the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey with Ambassador Serdar Kilic on September 13th, 2017 to discuss the Rohingya situation. Turkey has made the most vociferous and high-level stand for the Rohingya of any nation, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s September 2nd statement: “Those who close their eyes to this genocide perpetuated under the cover of democracy are its collaborators.” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called upon Bangladesh to “open your doors” for the fleeing Rohingya. The Turkish government pledged to cover the costs of the new Rohingya refugees entering Bangladesh by the hundreds of thousands. Turkey also petitioned the OIC to organize a summit before the end of 2017 to find a “definitive solution to this problem.” Finally, on September 7th, President Erdogan dispatched First Lady Emine Erdogan and Foreign Minister Cavusoglu to a refugee camp in Bangladesh to deliver aid and demonstrate Turkish support for the Rohingya. USCMO, in a formal statement, articulated its deep appreciation for Turkey’s stand with the Rohingya and urged officials to organize a Turkish-led initiative of Muslim countries in an effective, unified political response to Myanmar, as well as a coordinated substantial humanitarian effort for the approximately 700,000 that have fled Myanmar since August 2017. The Turkish embassy has agreed to maintain communication with USCMO on this issue and provide updates on its efforts for the Rohingya.
