Monday, January 25, 2016

Turkey Urges EU to Give It 3B Euros for Refugees; EU: Turkey Must Retain Refugees, Hasn't Done So

Turkey told the EU (European Union) today (January 25, 2016) to give it the three billion euros promised in November by governments to help Ankara stem the flow of migrants to Europe, according to the Euro News website.

Turkey's foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini that the government urgently needed the money. "Regarding the delay of 3 billion euros for the refugees, we don't take it personal, it has nothing to do with Turkey. It's the internal matter of the EU. But I have to remind that any delay of the amount of money coming for the refugees is affecting the daily life and the living standards of the refugees in Turkey," he said.

EU officials say that Turkey has to deliver on its part of the deal before it will be compensated; diplomats in Brussels are unhappy that few steps appear to have been taken by Turkey to stem the flow of migrants to Europe. More than one million refugees and migrants reached Europe in 2015 by land or sea illegally, according to the International Organization for Migration.

"The EU member states, I have to say, are watching very closely whether the numbers of irregular migrants go down due to Turkish actions and where these migrants come from," said Johannes Hahn, the EU commissioner responsible for neighborhood policy.

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