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Refugee crossings to Europe in decline: Turkish FM

Xinhua, April 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

Number of illegal refugee crossings from Turkey to Europe is shrinking after a deal sealed with the European Union (EU), Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday.

"Number of refugees illegally crossing from Turkey to five Greek islands, which was nearly six thousand per month, has decreased below 100," Cavusoglu said at a joint press conference with his visiting Polish counterpart Witold Waszczykowski.

But there is a problem with payment of three billion euros (3.4 billion U.S. dollars) due to red tape that the EU has pledged to give Turkey, the minister said citing to the bloc's promise to help Ankara stop the flow of refugees to Europe.

Cavusoglu recalled that his country gives shelter to nearly three million Syrian refugees, saying that Ankara has spent 10 billion U.S. dollars.

Turkey is a major transit country for refugees and migrants seeking to enter Europe via the Aegean route.

Under the refugee action plan, the EU agreed to offer three billion euros to Ankara to meet the needs of refugees in Turkey, visa liberalization for Turkish citizens and speeding up EU accession talks in exchange for Turkey's consistent efforts to stop the flow of refugees. Enditem