EU says Turkey key partner in managing refugee flows

European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini here on Wednesday said Turkey was a key partner in managing the refugee flows, and the EU's ongoing work with Turkey was at the highest level in months.

Mogherini made the remarks ahead of the weekly European Commission College meeting, noting that the ongoing refugee issue was indeed a regional problem, but was most of all a global crisis the EU had to face together with it's partners.

"Let's never forget that Turkey hosts two million refugees, only part of them in camps, most of them in local communities," she said.

Mogherini announced a few weeks ago she had met with the new foreign minister of Turkey, and were in contact almost on a daily basis. EU and Turkey officials were working very closely together, not only on the refugee issue, but also on the Syrian crisis, she said.

"I hope that now the refugee crisis is highlighting for everybody in Europe - and not only - that it is urgent to find a diplomatic, political solution to the crisis to put an end to this," she said.

EU heads of state or government are gathering in Brussels for an informal summit Wednesday to discuss an overall approach to the refugee crisis and the necessity to establish a credible European migration policy.

In his invitation letter to summit participants, European Council President Donald Tusk appealed to EU leaders to urgently provide financial donations to the World Food Program for food support for the 11 million people in Syria and the surrounding region. Endit