European official: The European Union wants to continue supporting Turkey because of the situation in Syria

The European Union Mission to Turkey held an event in Istanbul on the occasion of World Refugee Day, which falls on June 20 of each year, highlighting the great role that Ankara plays in supporting and embracing refugees in the country.

By the end of 2020, according to UNHCR reports, a total of 82 million people in the world were forced to leave their countries and homes, said Eleftheria Bertzenido, Deputy Head of Delegation of the European Union.

Bertzenido stressed that the European Union has been cooperating closely with Turkey since the beginning of the crisis, and is making efforts to overcome the difficulties that have arisen as a result of the Syrian crisis. The EU also helps Ankara meet the needs of refugees and their host communities.

Bertzenido drew attention to the European Union’s desire to continue supporting Turkey due to the situation in Syria.

“We believe that refugees can, in fact, be a driving force for positive change when they are given the right support,” Bertzenido added.

In his speech during the event held in Istanbul, which was attended by the Turkish side, Yusuf Buyuk, an official in the Turkish Minister of Education, said that his country has “historically embraced immigrants and refugees, and has become a watchdog for them, committed to providing all forms of support and community values.”

“According to United Nations data, Turkey is the largest country in the world hosting Syrian refugees, their number reached 4 million this year, while in 2012 they were only more than 14,000,” Buyuk added.

He also pointed out that Turkey has spent more than 40 billion dollars to meet the needs of refugees, stressing the need for “the countries of the world to make more efforts to provide the necessary support to the refugees.”
Source: agencies