ANKARA Turkey has ordered U.S.-based Mercy Corps, one of the largest humanitarian organizations delivering aid to Syria, to immediately shut down its Turkish operations, the group said on Wednesday.
"A Turkish government official told Reuters that the decision was "technical" and that Mercy Corps had failed to meet some documentation requirements.
"Our hearts are broken by this turn of events, which comes after five years of cooperation with the government of Turkey and other local partners," Mercy Corps said in a statement on its website.
Mercy Corps said it was grateful for the cooperation given until now by Turkey, "which has generously opened its doors to more than 3 million refugees since the Syria conflict began".
Mercy Corps said the Turkish government had not given a specific reason for the decision, which will mean ending a program that provides regular assistance to hundreds of thousands of besieged Syrian civilians and refugees.
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