20,550 Ukrainians arrive in Turkey since Russia-Ukraine conflict

ANKARA, March 7 (Xinhua) -- A total of 20,550 Ukrainian citizens have entered Turkey since Feb. 24 when Russia launched a "special military operation" in Ukraine, a senior Turkish official said Monday.

Within the scope of the visa exemption agreement between Ukraine and Turkey, Ukrainian citizens can enter Turkey with a passport or ID, and stay legally for up to 90 days, Turkish Deputy Interior Minister Ismail Catakli said in a written statement.

The Interior Ministry instructed the governors to provide necessary convenience in residence permit applications for Ukrainian citizens who entered Turkey legally but could not leave due to the conflict, Catakli said.

Turkey has sent 10 trucks of humanitarian aid for Ukraine, and another 10 will be dispatched to the conflict region this week, he said.

The members of the Turkish National Medical Rescue Team and the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency were conducting humanitarian relief operations on the Romania-Ukraine border, he added.

Turkish Red Crescent teams arrived at the border last week to contribute to humanitarian efforts.

Meanwhile, Turkey has evacuated 12,000 Turkish citizens from Ukraine, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Monday.

The Russian armed forces announced a ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors in four Ukrainian cities starting at 10:00 a.m. Moscow time (0700 GMT) on Monday, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.