Roundup: EU keeps promise to aid refugees in Turkey with 3 bln euro

ANKARA, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The European Union fulfilled its commitment of 3 billion euros aid under the facility for refugees in Turkey with all money now fully contracted, ambassador of the EU delegation to Ankara Christian Berger said on Wednesday.

The EU had signed on Tuesday the last contract with KfW, or German Development Bank, which means that now the entire amount of the 3 billion Euros EU offered in 2016 are now contracted, hence a total of 72 projects were contracted in Turkey by the end of 2017, the ambassador told reporters.

The entire amount of 3 billion Euros allocated by EU for two years, 2016-2017 is "legally bound and being implemented," Berger stated.

Under the facility for refugees program, humanitarian projects for more than 3 million refugees are carried out with cooperation of the EU, the Turkish government and various ministries, the UN family, and with international and local NGOs, he said.

The first component of the humanitarian projects address basic needs of those refugees with roughly 1.4 billion Euros, stated the ambassador.

This allocation is being used for projects such as cash transfers, food, equipments and clothes for the winter, health, and for support specific vulnerable groups, he noted.

For their long term needs, the EU has a big program on education together with the Turkish Ministry of Education and organizations worth of 705 million Euros, he said, noting that one of the most important component of this project included construction of more than 175 schools.

This projects not only aims at helping refugees, but also sharing the burden of hosting society in Turkey, the ambassador said, adding that 5,600 teachers had language training to be able to communicate with refugee students.

Around 32 million Euros is used for scholarship programs to access to university education.

Other component of the projects is health for which 400 million Euro is allocated, aiming to provide primary and secondary health support, in addition to construction of two state hospitals in Turkey's southern Kilis and Hatay provinces, he stated.

Another component of the program is enhancing skills and capacities of the refugees, in a bid to provide better labor opportunities for them.

The EU member states now will consider the extension of this fund for the upcoming two years, he said referring to additional 3 billion Euros that Brussels pledged to give for the term of 2018-2019.

The Turkish government has long been accusing the EU of failing to meet its promise of 3 million Euro under a program to resettle Syrian refugees.

Turkey and the EU have reached a refugee deal in March 2016 to prevent the flow of illegal immigration toward Europe in return for visa-free travels for its citizens, revival of its long-stalled accession talks and financial aid for refugees in Turkey.

The number of illegal migrants being smuggled into Europe via Turkey has fallen sharply as a result.

"By the end of this year, 1,500 people have been returned from Greek islands to Turkey," Berger said, adding that more than 11,700 people have been resettled in the EU from Turkey.

According to statistics released by the Turkish Interior Ministry, there are over 3.3 million Syrians registered with biometric IDs in Turkey, of whom about 227,000 are living in refugee camps, while the rest are living across the country. Enditem