Roundup: Turkey under pressure from migration challenges amid raising toll near coast

The boat capsizing incident near Turkey's western coast Tuesday, in which 36 refugees died, signals that Ankara is still facing the problem of displaced migrants.

The incident happened Tuesday on the shorelines of Turkey's western province Balikesir, after the stormy weather capsized the boat loaded with refugees who were trying to cross to Greece.

Two boats were reportedly carrying a total of 165 refugees from Syria, Iraq and Algeria. One of which with at least 55 aboard sank.

Most of the dead did not carry any documents, leaving the Turkish authorities struggling to identify them.

"The sin of the 36 dead bodies that washed up on our beaches belongs to the international community," said Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Wednesday.

According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 3,700 deaths were reported while migrants and refugees were trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe in 2015, marking it the deadliest year on record.

Piril Ercoban, the administrative coordinator of the Association for Solidarity with Refugees, an Izmir-based refugee advocacy group, said the temporary status given to refugees in Turkey prompts many to risk their lives to go to Europe.

Turkey does not allow refugees to work legally, and some 400,000 kids are not schooled.

"Moreover, the whispering rumors that the European Union will no longer receive refugees also stimulate people into taking on this journey," she added.

In November 2015, the EU clinched an agreement with Turkey to curb the refugee influx from the Middle East to Europe.

Under the deal, the EU will offer Turkey three billion euros (3.18 billion U.S. dollars) in aid and promise Ankara the membership of the bloc, hoping to trade for a massive reduction of illegal migrant arrivals.

Turkey's opposition parties have been critical of the deal.

Hisyar Ozsoy, a lawmaker from pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party, slammed the agreement, saying Turkey's relations with the EU have been impacted by the refugee crisis.

"The EU gave three billion, and placed the whole burden of war of Syria on Turkey," he lamented.

It is estimated that some 1.5 million illegal migrants have arrived in the EU in 2015, although the flow has considerably slowed down in recent months after the deal.

The harsh winter was also cited as a reason for the slowdown.

According to the Turkish coast guard, more than 86,000 migrants have been rescued while trying to cross to Greece, mostly over the Aegean Sea.

The coast guard also detained over 140 smugglers who organized such trips for migrants and refugees.

Mahmut Tanal, a lawyer with Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party, submitted a draft bill to the parliament on Wednesday advocating to establish a ministry for migration, citing tragedies on Turkish shorelines.

He said the migrants and refugees will have an impact on the Turkish society to an extent that cannot be simply overlooked. He therefore required a new cabinet position to handle the matters in the country.

Labor unions in Turkey have also expressed their uneasiness on the already problematic labor market.

Pak Textile Laborers' Union President Selim Demiralp said that Syrian refugees who work for lower wages have impacted the employment in textile industry, and many others.

Turkey is hosting some 2.5 million refugees, mostly from Syria. The government says it has spent 8.5 billion dollars on them so far. Endit