Turkey’s prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu accused Russia on Wednesday of attempts of “ethnic cleansing” in northern Syria, saying Moscow was trying to drive out the local Turkmen population to protect its military interests in the area.
“Russia is trying to ethnically cleanse the Turkmen and Sunni population in northern Latakia who do not have good relations with the regime,” Davutoglu told foreign reporters in Istanbul.
“They want to expel them; they want to ethnically cleanse this area so that the [Assad] regime and Russian bases in Latakia and Tartus are protected,” he said.
The Syrian Coalition calls upon the UN Security Council to intervene immediately to stop bombing of civilians and hospitals by both Assad and Russia. Since September 30, nearly 23 hospitals and health facilities were targeted by Russian and Assad forces airstrikes.
“We urge human rights organizations to act and expose the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Assad and Russia and to prosecute those responsible before international justice,” the Syrian Coalition said in a statement released yesterday.
The Syrian Coalition strongly condemned the brutal airstrikes carried out by Russian jet fighters on Tuesday evening against Bernas children hospital in rural Latakia. The Russian airstrikes also hit the Rabia hospital in Mount Turkmen and the Medical and Technical Institute where nearly 200 students were receiving training in the fields of nursing, anesthesia and obstetrics.
Bernas hospital, now shut down as a result of the attack, offered services for around 350 women per month, including 100 C-section operations. It also offered nearly 700 medical review of sick women and children each month. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
