Turkey treats 30 Syrians for suspected chemical attack

By Zehra Melek Cat

ERZURUM (AA) – Turkish hospitals have treated around 30 civilians injured by the suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, Turkey’s health minister said Wednesday.

“As of yesterday [Tuesday] we’ve treated around 30 people. There are also many others, who could not come” to Turkey, Recep Akdag told reporters in the eastern Erzurum province.

The civilians have been receiving treatment in the southern border provinces of Hatay and Gaziantep.

Akdag also said that they have evidence concerning the attack in the town of Khan Shaykun, Syria, which led to widespread international outrage, and is set to be addressed in an emergency UN Security Council meeting Wednesday.

“We have some findings of a chemical attack. We are documenting the findings and will send them to the World Health Organization.”

"Humanity should not remain insensitive to this issue," he added.

Following the attack, Turkey dispatched 30 ambulances to Idlib Tuesday.

More than 100 civilians were killed and 500 others, mostly children, were injured in the attack carried out by Assad regime warplanes, the Syrian interim government's health minister, Firas Jundi. said.

Last year, a UN-appointed investigation panel found that chemical weapons were used by regime forces and opposition fighters in 2014 and 2015. However, no actionable steps were taken.

Since March 2011, the Syrian opposition has demanded an end to more than 44 years of Assad family rule and the establishment of a democratic state.