Turkey seeks permanent solution to Rohingya crisis

Visiting Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım yesterday told BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia that their country had been working for a permanent solution to the Rohingya crisis as it thought Myanmar nationals who fled persecution in Rakhine state should be sent back to their homeland.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came up with the remarks after a meeting between Binali Yıldırım and Khaleda at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon in the city.

"The Turkish prime minister said they think the displaced Rohingyas must be repatriated to their homeland, and a permanent solution to the crisis is very crucial. They [Turkey] have been maintaining contacts with different countries and global agencies to this end," Fakhrul told reporters while briefing them about the meeting.

He said the Binali came here to visit Rohingyas and talk to the Bangladesh government over how the displaced people can be sent back to their own country with dignity.

He also added that Binali told them that their government and people are very sympathetic towards Rohingyas and that they had been working in this regard from the very beginning of the crisis.

Apart from the Rohingya influx, other issues relating to Bangladesh's current political situation and the country's upcoming general election were discussed in the 45-minute meeting.

"We've also discussed what will be our and the government's role in the next general election. We've also discussed different activities of the government," Fakhrul added.

Turkey, the current chair of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), took a firm stance against the persecution of Rohingyas from the beginning of the Rohingya crisis.

Last September, Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visited Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar.

Fakhrul, BNP standing committee members Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, chairperson's advisory council member Sabihuddin Ahmed and Enamul Haque Chowdhury were present at the meeting.