MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2019) Ankara is expecting the newly-formed European Commission to take on a more justified policy towards Turkey, media reported on Friday, citing the country's vice president.
"We expect the newly-elected European Commission to form a more objective, fair and visionary Turkey policy," Fuat Oktay said at a meeting with EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos, German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, and French Ambassador to Turkey Charles Fries in Ankara, as quoted by the Anadolu news agency.
The high-ranking officials discussed the issue of migration with Oktay emphasizing Turkey's role in providing refuge to around 4 million displaced people, according to the media outlet.
"It is not an accurate and fair approach to expect Turkey to undertake the burden of irregular migrants on its own. If Turkey had not made the efforts, millions of people would have passed to Europe," the Turkish vice president said, adding that it is "a fair burden sharing" among all responsible parties.
Oktay added that Turkey expects around two million Syrian migrants to resettle in the region, speaking about the safe zone establishment in northern Syria.
"Our [resettlement] projects are ready but we need the support of all actors in the region, especially the EU," the agency quoted the official as saying.
On August 7, Turkey and the United States agreed to create a safe zone in northern Syria after months of tensions between the two countries over the presence of Kurdish militants, seen as terrorists by Ankara. However, the deal has not been fully implemented yet.
