Turkish President Erdoğan calls on leaders to solve Myanmar crisis

In holiday greetings to his Kazakh, Senegalese, and Nigerian counterparts, Turkey's president Erdoğan stressed the importance of working together to solve the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.

Earlier this week, Erdoğan also discussed the crisis in Myanmar on the phone with the leaders of Pakistan, Iran, Mauritania, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Azerbaijan and Bangladesh.

Violence erupted in Myanmar's Rakhine state on Aug. 25 when the country's security forces launched an operation against the Rohingya Muslim community.

The recent atrocities triggered a fresh influx of refugees towards neighboring Bangladesh who sealed off its border to the refugees.

Myanmar security forces have used disproportionate force, displacing thousands of rohingya villagers and destroying their homes with mortars and machine guns.

The region has seen simmering tensions between its Buddhist and Muslim populations since communal violence broke out in 2012.

A crackdown launched last october in Maungdaw, where Rohingya make up the majority, led to a un report on human rights violations and crimes against humanity by security forces.

The UN documented mass gang rape, killings -- including infants and young children -- brutal beatings, and disappearances. Rohingya representatives have said approximately 400 people have been slain in the recent crackdown.