20110224
Xinhua
ANKARA, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Two Turkish ferries carrying 3,037 passengers arrived in southwestern Turkey from Libya early on Thursday, local media reported.

The ships had set sail from eastern Libyan city Benghazi and were anchored in the Aegean town of Marmaris on Thursday, the semi- official Anatolia news agency reported.

Among the passengers, 59 were foreigners from Germany, Syria, Britain and other countries, said the report.

Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim and Health Minister Recep Akdag welcomed the passengers at the port.

Yildirim was quoted as saying more ships will be sent to Libya to evacuate citizens out of the unrest-hit country.

Turkey is carrying out its largest evacuation effort in Libya, with some 25,000 nationals working or living in the North African country.

The government has moved Turks out by plane, boat and by land via Egypt.

A family identified as the Acar family were quoted as saying: " We have been living in Darnah for one and a half years and we have faced serious problems in recent days."

Some passengers were carrying banners which read "Thank you, people of Benghazi" to express their gratitude for locals' help when they were waiting to be evacuated at construction sites.

More than 200 Turkish firms are operating for projects worth some 15 billion U.S. dollars in Libya, most of them construction projects.