Ayhan Şimşek
05 February 2016•Update: 09 February 2016
BERLIN
German Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced concern on Friday over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Syria, criticizing the recent military offensive by the Assad regime and Russia.
“Everyone must understand, and particularly the Assad regime and Russia, that the worsening humanitarian situation in Syria diminishes once again the possibility of bringing the political talks to a successful conclusion,” she said in Berlin, at a joint news conference with visiting Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa.
Merkel said she will visit Ankara on Monday for talks with the Turkish government on Syria and the refugee crisis triggered by the conflict.
“Turkey is concerned these days about a possible new refugee influx,” she said referring to the Syrian people fleeing Aleppo amid new airstrikes by Russia and regime forces.
Merkel expressed hope that with further progress in the implementation of an EU-Turkey action plan, the situation of refugees in Turkey will be improved and illegal crossings via the Aegean Sea will be reduced.
It will be Merkel’s second visit to Turkey in five months, as she is facing growing pressure at home due to the record number of refugees which have arrived in Germany, mostly from Syria and Iraq.
German government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters that Merkel’s visit will take place as part of intensified dialogue between Germany and Turkey in recent months.
“The main focus of the visit will be the ongoing implementation EU-Turkey action plan,” he said, referring to the agreement between EU and Turkey on Nov. 29 to reduce the refugee influx to Europe and improve conditions of Syrian refugees in Turkey.
Merkel’s unexpected visit comes amid growing worries in Ankara over a new refugee influx from Syria, after Russian and Syrian air forces stepped up their airstrikes in Aleppo.
Germany, which accepted 1.1 million refugees in 2015, fears a new refugee wave due to intensified fighting in areas controlled by the opposition.
Seibert said Merkel and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu decided on the visit during their meeting in London on Thursday on the sidelines of the Syrian Donors’ Conference.
He said the leaders will review all aspects of the EU-Turkey action plan and will also discuss recent developments in neighboring Syria and military operations by Russia and the regime.
“There has been a strong consensus in London yesterday; what is happening in Aleppo can only be seen with greatest concern,” Seibert said.
“The governments that bear responsibility for the bombings in Aleppo, bombings that target the civilian population, are apparently willing to take the risk of failure of efforts for a political solution. This should not be the case,” he warned.
“As Syria peace talks enter into a temporary pause, this period should be used to think about ways to improve the humanitarian situation, ways to reach a ceasefire and make progress towards political solution. This is our call to all parties,” he said.
The Geneva talks were suspended Wednesday due to intensified fighting in the country, with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura saying “more work” was needed.
Davutoglu said Thursday that due to military offensive of pro-Assad and Russian forces, tens of thousands of Syrians are on their way towards Turkey from camps to the north of Aleppo.
Since Sept. 30 of last year, Russia -- a close ally of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad regime -- has targeted a number of civilian areas in Syria, according to U.S. officials.
In a recent report, the Syrian Network for Human Rights asserted that Russian airstrikes had killed 583 people -- the vast majority of whom were civilians -- in the Syrian cities of Idlib, Aleppo, Hama and Homs and in rural areas such as Latakia and Daraa.
While Russia says the airstrikes target positions held by the Daesh militant group, some NATO members say Russia is targeting moderate opposition groups opposed to Assad
