Erdogan urges leaders of Muslim countries to act on Rohingya crisis

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the Muslim world to intensify its efforts to help persecuted Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar in phone conversations with his Mauritanian,  Pakistani, Iranian and Qatari counterparts on Thursday, Anadolu Agency reported on Thursday.

His call comes as Muslims around the globe prepare to mark the Eid al Adha holiday on Friday. Erdogan also told the leaders that the problems in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Palestine and Libya had made this a difficult Eid al Adha for the Muslim world.

The UN said around 27,400 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh to escape violence in Myanmar during the past week and a further 20,000 are marooned in no man's land between the two countries.

The Myanmar army launched what it called "clearance operations against the insurgents", but advocates for the Rohingya say they are attacking and burning Rohingya villages, shooting civilians and causing others to flee.

The Myanmar government expelled international aid groups from the region earlier this week, accusing them of helping Rohingya fighters.

Rohingya face severe persecution in the Buddhist-majority country, which refuses to recognise them as a legitimate native ethnic minority, leaving them without citizenship and basic rights.