Turkey Urges EU to Transfer Promised Refugee Aid
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu urged the European Commission on Friday to act faster on its pledge to deliver financial resources to Syrian refugees in Turkey.
Cavusoglu's remarks came during a joint press conference in the capital Ankara alongside Turkish EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik, head of EU foreign affairs Federica Mogherini and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn.
"The transfer of the promised 3+3 billion euros must be accelerated and should not be stuck in bureaucracy," said Cavusoglu.
He said everybody should clearly see for whom the money is spent for.
"I think we [Turkey and EU] both agree on this issue. We should help those people who live in harsh conditions more," he said, Anadolu News Agency reported.
Turkey and the EU signed a deal on March 18, aiming to discourage irregular migration through the Aegean Sea by taking stricter measures against human traffickers and improving conditions for nearly 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey.
The deal included a 6 billion euro ($6.8 billion) aid package to help Turkey care for millions of refugees hosted in the country.
The deal also allows for the acceleration of Turkey’s EU membership bid and visa-free travel for Turkish nationals within the Schengen area, on the condition that Ankara meets 72 requirements set by the EU.
While Turkey has fulfilled most of the criteria, differences between Brussels and Ankara on anti-terror legislation have forestalled the visa liberalization deal.
According to the EU, Turkey must revise its “legislation and practices on terrorism in line with European standards" in order for visa liberalization for Turkish citizens to enter into force.
Cavusoglu also said Turkey expected support from the EU in Turkey's fight against terror organizations including PKK, PKK-affiliated PYD, Daesh and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization FETO.
"EU countries should especially not tolerate PKK supporters making terror propaganda in European institutions or cities," he said.
The PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and EU – resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July 2015.
Since then, PKK terrorist attacks martyred more than 600 security personnel and also claimed the lives of numerous civilians, including women and children, while more than 7,000 PKK terrorists were killed in army operations.
