Turkish Red Crescent ready for Syria

LEFKOSA (A.A) – March 1, 2012 – Turkish Red Crescent (Turk Kizilayi) was ready to send humanitarian aid to Syria, the head of the aid organization said on Thursday. Ahmet Lutfi Akar, director general of Red Crescent, who is currently in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) for the 27th session of the Islamic Committee of International Crescent, told AA correspondent that the aid organization was ready to send humanitarian aid to Syria in any incident that could happen there. Akar said that they were also ready to host Syrian refugees in Turkey, stating that 9,675 Syrian people were staying in southern province of Hatay. A container city has been also built in southern province of Kilis, he said.  In regard to Somalia, Akar said that Turkish Red Crescent has been continuing its projects in Somalia and they were also working for permanent facilities there. A Turkish foundation would be set up in Somalia, he said. Regarding the decision of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that recognized only the Greek Cypriot Red Cross on the island, Akar said that the Greek Cypriot Red Cross, which did not serve in the TRNC, did not represent whole island. Akar said they were protesting the decision of the ICRC.