ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls on Europe to help build a refugee city in northern Syrian in coordination with his country to stem the influx of refugees to Europe and lift the burden of some 2.7 million refugees on his country.
"Let's build a city in northern Syria. Let's build an approximately 4,500-square meter [wide] city and include everything, infrastructure…with the international community," state-run Anadolu agency quoted Erdogan as saying at a ceremony in Istanbul on Friday.
Erdogan believes that if other countries help build this city it will decrease the flow of refugees into Turkey and from there to Europe.
In his speech the Turkish president also added that EU has been unsuccessful in aiding Turkey to stem the influx of refugees into Europe through his country.
"What is the West telling us? Here, we will give you €3 billion in a year. Look, it has been four months since it gave us this promise. They will still give, still give,” Erdogan exclaimed.
At a meeting of European leaders with Turkey last year the EU decided to give Ankara 3 billion Euros to improve conditions for Syrian refugees in the hope of stopping them from making the journey to Europe.
President of the European Council Donald Tusk was in Turkey last week to seek a workable mechanism with Ankara on retaking migrants deported from Greece.
Erdogan has reportedly promised not to close his country’s border on Syrian refugees fleeing their country from violence "even if the west did not pay money," according to Anadolu.
The UN Refugee Agency says that Turkey hosts nearly 2.7 million Syrian refugees.
"Let's build a city in northern Syria. Let's build an approximately 4,500-square meter [wide] city and include everything, infrastructure…with the international community," state-run Anadolu agency quoted Erdogan as saying at a ceremony in Istanbul on Friday.
Erdogan believes that if other countries help build this city it will decrease the flow of refugees into Turkey and from there to Europe.
In his speech the Turkish president also added that EU has been unsuccessful in aiding Turkey to stem the influx of refugees into Europe through his country.
"What is the West telling us? Here, we will give you €3 billion in a year. Look, it has been four months since it gave us this promise. They will still give, still give,” Erdogan exclaimed.
At a meeting of European leaders with Turkey last year the EU decided to give Ankara 3 billion Euros to improve conditions for Syrian refugees in the hope of stopping them from making the journey to Europe.
President of the European Council Donald Tusk was in Turkey last week to seek a workable mechanism with Ankara on retaking migrants deported from Greece.
Erdogan has reportedly promised not to close his country’s border on Syrian refugees fleeing their country from violence "even if the west did not pay money," according to Anadolu.
The UN Refugee Agency says that Turkey hosts nearly 2.7 million Syrian refugees.
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