Turkey's president accused the European Union on Friday of failing to deliver funds it promised as part of a deal to stop migrants crossing the Aegean Sea. The EU rejected the charges.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the EU had pledged 6 billion euros ($6.7 billion) in support of some 3 million refugees Turkey currently hosts.
"What happened? The support given until now is 183 million euros," Erdogan asked.
"And they did not give it to us, they gave it to UNICEF. No country can stand alone in this crisis. Unfortunately the promises on this issue are not kept," he said.
There are fears in Europe that the March deal, which drastically reduced the number of migrants crossing to Greece, could unravel amid Turkish claims that the EU did not stick to its promises.
In an emailed comment to The Associated Press, EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic denied the charges, saying the money it is providing "is funding for refugees and host communities, not for Turkey."
"The European Union is respecting its commitments under the EU-Turkey Statement," she said. "Suggestions to the contrary, including on financial support for refugees in Turkey, are not true. In fact, we have accelerated the implementation of our commitments over the past months."
So far, of the overall 3 billion euros promised in the first installment, 2.2 billion euros have been allocated, for both humanitarian and non-humanitarian assistance, she said.
from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/2bPk968
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