Jolie seeks to visit Syria refugees
Angelina Jolie wants to visit Syrian refugees who have fled violence and are camped out on the Turkish side of the border, Turkey said today.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal said an application to visit the refugees has been made on behalf of the Hollywood actress, who is a goodwill ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Mr Unal says the application is being assessed.
More than 8,500 Syrians are said to have fled to Turkey to escape a crackdown on an anti-government uprising.
In April, Jolie travelled to Tunisia during its refugee crisis as thousands fled from its war-torn neighbour, Libya.
Syria's government is calling for the thousands of refugees to return.
Syrian information minister Adnan Mahmoud said security, electricity, water and communications have now been restored in the town they fled, Jisr al-Shughour, and the area is now safe.
Some 8,000 Syrians have sought refuge in camps in neighbouring Turkey following a military crackdown that authorities said was to snuff out “armed terrorists” in the region.
Mr Mahmoud said after a cabinet meeting last night that the government tasked the Syrian Red Crescent Society with coordinating with Turkish authorities to guarantee the return of refugees.
