EU to consider extra funding to Turkey for refugees

By Meltem Bulur

ANKARA (AA) - A top European Union official on Wednesday said the EU would consider releasing more funding to help the millions of Syrian refugees sheltering in Turkey when the country met its commitments under a 2016 EU-Turkey refugee deal.

European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, was speaking to Anadolu Agency during a visit to Turkey.

He said €811 million ($909 million) of funding had already been dispersed and the vast majority of an EU €3-billion commitment had been allocated.

“Once the €3 billion is used in full, and provided commitments under the EU-Turkey statement are met, we will consider the mobilization of additional funding for the facility," he said.

He said implementation of the agreement would bring benefits to EU citizens, Turkish host communities and refugees.

"Our priority must be in making sure that activities are effectively taking place on the ground," Stylianides said.

He also stressed that beyond the specific refugee agreement "a broader dialogue" should continue between the EU and Turkey to deal with challenges.

"The EU and Turkey must continue and strengthen their cooperation on this front because there is no alternative way to tackle this unprecedented crisis," he said.

In March 2016, Turkey and the EU signed a refugee deal which aimed at discouraging irregular migration through the Aegean Sea by taking stricter measures against human traffickers and improving the conditions of the nearly three million Syrian refugees in Turkey.

Under the readmission agreement, Turkey is supposed to readmit all irregular asylum seekers who reach Greek islands from the country.

But visa liberalization in Schengen zone countries -- one of the key EU promises made under the deal -- was meant to enhance EU-Turkey cooperation in addressing the refugee crisis and accelerate Turkey’s EU membership talks.

Turkey has so far met most of the requirements for visa liberalization, but the EU’s demands for change in Ankara’s anti-terrorism laws led to a deadlock in negotiations.

The Turkish authorities previously said the refugee deal could collapse if the EU fails to provide Ankara with the promised visa liberalization by the end of this year.

Turkey now hosts some three million Syrian refugees, more than any other country in the world.

The country has spent around $25 billion helping and sheltering refugees since the beginning of the Syrian civil war.