Turkey sends field hospital to Bangladesh

ANKARA (AA) – The Turkish Health Ministry has sent a field hospital to Bangladesh to serve displaced Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar, the Turkish General Staff said Thursday.

In a statement they said the heavy climate-type field hospital, along with a setup team of 10 people, reached Bangladesh on Wednesday.

The team went to the camping area to set up the hospital.

In September, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Recep Akdag promised to have a field hospital in the Rohingya Muslim-populated region during a visit to one of the camps.

The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.

Since Aug. 25, over 646,000 Rohingya have crossed from Rakhine into Bangladesh, according to the UN.

The refugees are fleeing a military operation in which security forces and Buddhist mobs have killed men, women and children, looted homes and torched Rohingya villages.

Turkey has been at the forefront of providing aid to Rohingya refugees and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has raised the issue at the UN.