Turkish Human Right Society Warns against Terrorist Practices in Iskenderun

Ankara, (ST) _A Turkish Human Rights Association warned against  the drastic situation people of Iskenderun suffer as a result of proliferation of armed terrorist groups that wreak killing and destruction in Syria, in their cities.

In a report on the crisis in Syria and its impact on cities and villages of Iskenderun posted on the Turkish “Sol Portal” online, the association noted increasing influx of Syrians and foreign elements to Iskenderun and the indefinite numbers of those who crossed the border from Syria to Turkey in the context of the crisis in Syria.

In a statement to the association, Rafik Yilmaz , member of the   Turkish parliament for the opposition Republican People’s Party said that  warplanes transport  terrorist groups to the city on a daily basis .

A Turkish customs staff  was also quoted an saying that at instructions from Ankara permit cars to enter through the yellow line after they used to enter through the red line where no cars are monitored, but only documents.

Yilmaz  indicated  the concern that captured the people of  Antioch with threats posted by  elements of these terrorist groups on Web pages noting that  “one  citizen from Antioch told me that he heard two extremists talking about access to Smandag  town and Ersuz city . “

The report also refers to the increasing information about the spread of the phenomenon of arranged  marriages  of “Syrian refugee women ” to Turkish businessmen through intermediaries and that 70 persons  work  in this field  for certain sum of money.

Chairman of  Iskenderun doctors association Salim  Matkab indicated that members  of  armed terrorist groups that  carry out acts of killing and destruction in Syria  are stationed in several places in  Iskenderun  as hospitals to treat the injured in the clashes with the Syrian Arab army assisted the so-called “humanitarian agencies” pointing to the existence of Physicians of Arab nationalities working in these hospitals without any control monitoring  them or those hospitals.

Member of the Teachers Union TU  branch board in Iskenderun said that  Iskenderun turned into a buffer zone where foreign intelligence elements  are spread pointing to “forcing the people  of Antioch to take advantage of the economy of war  and practice arms trade openly.”

In this regard Yilmaz warned of the danger of the control of “Israel” and the Israeli Mossad on  these extremist groups that are active in the form of secret cells, warning that these groups can carry out terrorist acts in Turkey when a dialogue to resolve the crisis in Syria starts .

In parallel, the  report quoted a representative of the Armenian Church in Antioch Hagop Kartoon as expressing concern due to the prevailing situation in the city because of  the spread of extremist elements ,pointing out that the crisis led to a  growing sympathy of the city ‘s citizens  with the Syrian people and leadership, while the representative of the Orthodox churches in Antioch Joseph Naseh noted that  the Orthodox community in  Syria  support the Syrian leadership as they are not subjected to any  sectarian discrimination in Syria.

T. Fateh