The U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, “is grateful for its strong partnership” with Turkey, an official said on Sept. 8.
Filippo Grandi, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, arrived in Turkey for a working visit on Sept. 7 and was received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday.
Grandi said on Twitter that he held discussions with Erdogan on solutions “for Syrian refugees in Turkey and in the region, and on the need to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
“The UNHCR is grateful for its strong partnership with Turkey in both endeavors,” he added.
Separately, Grandi also met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in the capital Ankara.
Thanking Çavuşoğlu “for a good discussion on issues of forced displacement in Turkey and the region,” Grandi said social media that “with Syria’s refugee crisis in its 11th year and Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation deteriorating, we must strengthen responses and accelerate the search for solutions.”
For his part, Çavuşoğlu after the meeting on Twitter said: “Migration is a common issue in all countries. Fair burden and responsibility sharing is a must.”
Earlier Wednesday, Grandi also met with Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu.
Describing the meeting as a good one, Grandi said on Twitter that he and Soylu had “discussed how to address Turkey’s growing migratory challenges as it continues to host a large population of Syrian, Afghan and other refugees.”
“More international help is needed!” he added.
Grandi is also expected to visit Şanlıurfa and Gaziantep provinces.
Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.
Hurriyet Daily News