Mumin Altas
04 October 2019•Update: 04 October 2019
ANKARA
Turkey expects the new European Commission to adopt a more objective, fair and visionary policy towards itself, the country’s vice president said on Friday.
"We expect the newly-elected European Commission to form a more objective, fair and visionary Turkey policy," Fuat Oktay said, adding that the commission will take the office on Nov. 1.
Oktay received EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos, German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, and French Ambassador to Turkey Charles Fries at the presidential complex in Turkish capital Ankara.
Oktay stressed that Turkey is home to around 4 million displaced people, undertaking a heavy burden.
"It is not an accurate and fair approach to expect Turkey to undertake the burden of irregular migrants on its own," he noted, urging the EU and its member states to take necessary responsibility about the issue.
"If Turkey had not made the efforts, millions of people would have passed to Europe," he said, and added that the management of the migration crisis required "a fair burden sharing".
On establishment of safe zone in northern Syria, Oktay reiterated that Turkey foresees voluntary resettlement of around two million Syrians to the region.
Resettlement would be possible after building the infrastructure, temporary and permanent accommodation places, hospitals and schools, he said, and added: "Our projects are ready but we need the support of all actors in the region, especially the EU."
On Aug. 7, Turkish and U.S. military officials agreed to set up a safe zone in northern Syria and develop a peace corridor to facilitate the movement of displaced Syrians who want to return home. They also agreed to establish a joint operations center.
Turkey has long championed the idea of terrorist-free safe zones in Syria. It has stressed ridding the area of the terrorist YPG/PKK, the Syrian branch of the PKK, as well as resettling Syrian migrants currently sheltered in Turkey.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
*Contributions and writing by Sena Guler
