BALADI NEWS
The EU should accelerate and increase the flow of aid funds to refugees in Turkey, Anadolu Agency quoted a Turkish deputy foreign affairs minister as saying on Saturday.
According to AA, Faruk Kaymakci, who is also the director for EU Affairs, told foreign reporters: "We appreciate the funds, which are provided by the EU. But I will leave it to your judgment. So far, migration crisis costs us more than $40 billion."
"The EU is only talking about €6 billion [$6.6 billion] since March 2016. So the first €3 billion has been completely allocated," he said, adding that only €2 billion have reached Syrians so far, with the remaining €1 billion pending. "It is coming, it is planned, but it has not reached the Syrians," he added.
Underlining that even the entire €6 billion would not be enough to resolve the Syrians' plight, Kaymakci said: "The EU should accelerate this flow of funds, and it should also increase funding."
He stressed that Ankara and Brussels should continue to cooperate to tackle the migration crisis.
Turkey is the largest host country for Syrian refugees and provides international protection to 3.6 million people, who fled the neighboring country.
Source: Anadolu Agency.