Aid for Syrian refugees in Turkey ‘not enough’

NEW YORK - Anatolia News Agency

FM Davutoğlu (L) meets with UN chief on the sidelines of assembly meetings. AA photo

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon underlined the lack of international aid to Syrian refugees staying in Turkey, promising to make calls for aid at the U.N. General Assembly meetings in New York.

In a meeting with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Sept. 24, U.N. chief Ban said he appreciated Turkey’s efforts to assist Syrian refugees in Turkey. “We are aware of the burden Turkey [faces]. The U.N. has mobilized to ease this burden across the world. However, the aid is not sufficient. I will repeat my calls on this issue during the General Assembly,” Ban told Davutoğlu, according to diplomatic sources. Ban also underlined his expectation that the international community should be as “alarmed” as Turkey is with regard to the Syrian crisis.

Davutoğlu said there was deadlock in the U.N. Security Council on Syria that resembled the mentality during the Cold War. “Such deadlock has negative implications on Turkey and other regional countries,” Davutoğlu said. Foreign minister also held meetings with Algeria’s, Brazil’s, Sweden’s, Romania’s and South Sudan’s foreign ministers on Sept. 24. He called attention to humanitarian aid for Syrian refugeess and the Arab League’s efforts on the Syria issue.