Turkey requires international aid, support to help Syrian refugees
ANKARA: Turkey is seeking international aid and financial support to continue helping the Syrian refugees as there are approximately 3.05 million of them currently taking refuge in the country.
According to Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (Afad), the Turkish government had spent US$5 billion (RM21.4 billion) annually for the refugees.
Afad president Mehmet Halis Bilden said since the Syria's civil war erupted in 2011, Turkey had been spending US$25 billion to host the refugees.
"However, the international contribution to Turkey is considered small compared to the country's allocation which is about US$526 million," he said at a briefing on the agency's efforts to host Syrian refugees to 40 international media representatives here today.
The United Nations, Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, European countries are among the quarters that had contributed to Turkey, he said.
Bilden said the European Union had promised to contribute €4 billion (RM19.1 billion) to Turkey but until now, it only received €811 million.
Meanwhile, Directorate General of Press and Information director general, Mehmet Akarca said the country needed international assistance as it had spent a large amount of money to support the refugees.
"We wish that it would not be just Turkey to shoulder this burden, we hope other countries would come in to assist these refugees," he said.
According to Afad, some 4.9 million Syrian refugees fled into neighbouring countries over the last six years, and Turkey is the largest country to host these refugees, followed by Lebanon (1.01 million), Jordan (656,000), Iraq (233,000) and Eygpt (113,000).
Malaysia also has expressed its voluntary commitment to accept 3,000 Syrian immigrants on humanitarian grounds.
When asked by Malaysian reporters on how Malaysia could share Turkey's expertise in handling the refugees, Bilden suggested Malaysia could send a special team to the country for learning and observation.
"We are ready to share our expertise with Malaysia and they can send a special team here," he said. — Bernama