Syrian Refugees In Turkey Seek Help Of Global Community

From Mohd Razman Abdullah ISTANBUL, June 19 (Bernama) -- A small group of Syrian refugees held a peaceful gathering at the Taksim Square area in this Turkish capital on Sunday urging the concerned parties to end the six-year civil war in their country. The 30 men help up placards and Syrian flags and chanted in Arabic as they called for an end to the conflict while passers-by shot pictures and videos in the busy shopping area. The Turkish police had provided a special barricaded area for them to hold the gathering and armed policemen closely monitored the event. A member of the group, Salah Fariz, 43, said the gathering was held to voice out their request to the world community to help the Syrian refugees in Turkey. Salah praised the Turkish government for lending a hand to assist the Syrian refugees in Turkey, currently numbering over three million. "The Turkish government is standing with the Syrians (refugees) ... we are afraid it is the only one standing with us. "We need support from other countries; we need help from Muslim countries and Arab countries," he told Bernama. ​​​Salah escaped to Turkey three years ago after the conflict spread to southern Syria. He left the country with his wife and three children following his brother’s escape from a Syrian government detention centre where he had been held for three months. "My brother is with me and we are together in Turkey now," he said. It has been reported that some four million Syrian refugees fled into neighbouring countries over the last six years, and slipped inexorably into poverty. Malaysia has expressed its voluntary commitment to accept 3,000 Syrian immigrants in three years on humanitarian grounds. (photoBERNAMA) -- BERNAMA