Merkel to 'listen to' Syrian refugees needs in Turkey

BERLIN

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said her upcoming visit to Turkey is aimed at gaining new insights into the living conditions of Syrian refugees and identifying their needs.

Merkel is expected in Turkey on Saturday.

Addressing a joint press conference with visiting Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite in Berlin Wednesday, she said: "I will travel to Gaziantep together with European Council President Donald Tusk and EU Commission Vice-President Mr. Timmermans to see the situation on the ground.

Referring to the EU-funded humanitarian projects for refugees who escaped from civil war in neighboring Syria, she said: “There we are having first projects for the refugees and we would like to listen to them about their needs.

“We would like to gain insights into the practical conditions, we would like to figure out which steps should be taken to speed up the implementation.”

Turkey hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees in the world, with over 2.5 million Syrians inside the country.

EU and Turkey agreed on an action plan late last year, to improve conditions of Syrian refugees in Turkey and to strengthen the fight against human traffickers, who smuggled thousands of refugees into Europe via the Aegean Sea.

Merkel also mentioned she will meet U.S. President Barack Obama and leaders of France, the U.K. and Italy in the central German city of Hannover on Monday, for discussions on international issues, including Syria and the refugee crisis.

“There we will have discussions on the important topics of the international agenda, which includes Syria, but of course also Russia and Ukraine, and we can also talk about the question of Libya and migration,” she said.

She recalled that leaders of these five countries also met in a similar format ahead of the G20 summit last year, and that meeting provided an opportunity for all to have intensive exchanges on important international issues.

Obama is already scheduled to visit Germany on Sunday, for bilateral talks with Merkel and to open the Hannover trade show, where the U.S. will be a partner country this year.