Turkey criticizes int'l community over Syrian refugees

By Nazli Yuzbasioglu and Zuhal Demirci

ANKARA

International community's support for Turkey’s efforts to help Syrian refugees is "insufficient", EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Omer Celik said Monday.

Speaking during a joint press conference with EU Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Commissioner Christos Stylianides ahead of a meeting in Ankara, Celik said the Turkish government and local NGOs have spent more than $25 billion for nearly three million refugees hosted in the country since 2011.

"Unfortunately, the international community's support for Turkey's efforts is insufficient and limited," Celik said.

"We welcome EU's 3+3 billion euros [$6.76 billion] support," he said. "But we have some criticism about the mechanism used to transmit this support."

Celik said transmitting the support to be spent on education for children through NGOs was slowing down the process. The €3 billion aid, aimed to be spent on meeting the needs of Syrian refugees in Turkey, is funded under a facility, subject to EU member states’ approval.

Noting that the meeting with Stylianides would cover the crises in the region and EU agenda, Celik said humanitarian aid and crisis management were of great significance to Turkey.

Celik said Stylianides signed the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) Project, a program that allows refugees to receive an electronic card with monthly cash transfers. ESSN project will unlock 348 million euros of the €3 billion in aid.

"I am in Ankara for a specific reason: to launch the biggest, largest humanitarian project the EU has ever supported," Stylianides said.

The commissioner said the project was proof of the EU's commitment to support Turkey amid the refugee crisis.

Stylianides said he appreciated efforts by the Turkish people to host the Syrian refugees.