* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA) - Archive
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The Ministry of National Defense has announced that due to the coronavirus outbreak, the movement of military personnel and units in operation zones in Syria has been reduced to minimum unless absolutely necessary.
In a statement released by the Ministry, it has been stated, "An arrangement has been made to ensure that the entry and exit of task units in operation zones in Syria are done with the permission of the Army Commander and, therefore, the movement of personnel and units has been reduced to minimum unless absolutely necessary."
'Doctors be sent to operation zones'
Noting that "informative and awareness-raising trainings have been carried out by sending medical doctors to operation zones," the Ministry has also stated that measures have been taken to ensure that the personnel who will return to Turkey will be monitored for 14 days, they will be permitted to enter the country afterwards and undergo medical health checks.
Chemical, Biological, Nuclear and Radiological (CBRN) defense teams have been appointed to disinfect the vehicles that return from Syria to Turkey for supply, the Ministry of Defense has further indicated.
Calls for ceasefire by the UN and EU
United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres made the following call for an immediate global ceasefire on March 23: "The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war. That is why today, I am calling for an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world. It is time to put armed conflict on lockdown and focus together on the true fight of our lives.
"End the sickness of war and fight the disease that is ravaging our world. It starts by stopping the fighting everywhere. Now. That is what our human family needs, now more than ever."
European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Police Josep Borrell has followed the suit in following words:
"The fight against this global pandemic, which is taking so many lives and challenging the functioning of our societies, is an unprecedented challenge that requires global unity, cooperation, solidarity and compassion.
"The challenges that the world was facing before the outbreak of the virus remain. The pandemic will most likely exacerbate some of them.
"Now, more than ever, is the time to agree on a worldwide truce, to stop all armed conflicts and immediately halt the fighting." (PT/SD)
