Davutoglu reaches out to Myanmar

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, accompanied by Prime Minister's wife Emine Erdogan and his daughter Sumeyye Erdogan, several Parliament members, bureaucrats, representatives of charities and journalists yesterday arrived in Naypyidaw, administrative capital of Myanmar, to hold official contacts and oversee the distribution of Turkish humanitarian aid to the displaced Rohingya Muslims. After being received by Myanmar's President Thein Sein, Davutoglu and the accompanying delegation paid a visit to the graves of Turkish soldiers who were taken hostage by the British and taken to Myanmar during World War I. Afterwards, the delegation held separate meetings with Myanmar’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin and President Sein, both of which were closed to the press corps. After his meeting with Davutoglu, Sein expressed his pleasure about the fact that Turkey opened an embassy in his country in March 2012. Sein stated that Myanmar would also open an embassy in Turkey as soon as possible and that relations between the two countries would be improved by this move. For his part, Davutoglu said that the Myanmar government's decision to grant their visit reflected Turkey's influence in the international field. Davutoglu stated that the government in Myanmar was only allowing the UN to get into the Arakan region. Replying to questions of reporters on his flight to Myanmar, Davutoglu stated that this was the first high-level visit between Turkey and Myanmar. He said that he had given two instructions to the ambassador who was appointed to Myanmar, adding first one was to find the graveyards of the 1,500 Turkish soldiers who were taken to Myanmar from Canakkale and Egypt during WWI and were killed there. Davutoglu added that the second instruction was to make contact with the Muslims in Arakan. "At the moment our first aim is to set up good relationships with the government in Myanmar, then distribute humanitarian aid," Davutoglu said. As part of his contacts, Davutoglu also met with Nobel Peace Prize-winning opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi at his house, where he invited him to Turkey as part of an academic program. During the meeting, Davutoglu told Kyi that they were there to deliver humanitarian aid for the Arakan region both to the Muslim and Buddhist people. For his part, Kyi said that it would be important for Buddhists to meet with Muslim representatives.