Merkel to 'listen to' Syrian refugees' needs in Turkey

Berlin, (IINA) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that her upcoming visit to Turkey, expected to be on Saturday, is aimed at gaining new insights into the living conditions of Syrian refugees and identifying their needs, Anadolu Agency reported.
Addressing a joint press conference with visiting Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite in Berlin Wednesday, she said: "I will travel to Gaziantep together with European Council President Donald Tusk and EU Commission Vice-President Timmermans to see the situation on the ground”.
Referring to the EU-funded humanitarian projects for refugees who escaped from the civil war in neighboring Syria, she said: “There we are having first projects for the refugees, and we would like to listen to them about their needs”.
“We would like to gain insights into the practical conditions. We would like to figure out which steps should be taken to speed up the implementation”.
Turkey hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees in the world, with over 2.5 million Syrians inside the country.
EU and Turkey agreed on an action plan last year, to improve conditions of Syrian refugees in Turkey and to strengthen the fight against human traffickers, who smuggled thousands of refugees into Europe via the Aegean Sea.
AG/IINA

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