By Aysu Bicer
LONDON (AA) - The EU reaffirmed its commitment Wednesday to support Türkiye in addressing the challenges posed by migration and emphasized the importance of aiding refugees and host communities.
The announcement comes as the EU Commission published its seventh report on "the support provided by the Union" to Türkiye "for hosted refugees and host communities."
The Commission applauded the significant progress made in various critical areas, including meeting basic needs, providing education and health care services, offering socio-economic support, enhancing municipal infrastructure and strengthening border management.
The progress has been achieved through close collaboration with Turkish authorities, it said in a statement.
"Türkiye continues to make significant efforts in hosting millions of refugees. The EU will continue to stand by the refugees and host communities in the country," said Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi.
"The Commission has made a proposal to member States to continue to mobilise support beyond 2023 – fit for the current realities on the ground, and as a major investment in stability and security – and I hope discussions among Member States on the matter can be finalized swiftly," he added.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently said his country is currently home to nearly 5 million refugees and will continue to host the refugees.
He added that Türkiye encourages the safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees, noting it works to build houses in northern Syria with the support of Qatar.
One million Syrians will be able to return with the completion of permanent housing, and so far, around 600,000 have already started to return, said Erdogan.