Turkey says it will abide by refugee rules

21 March 2016, 7:34 pm

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A Turkish foreign ministry official says his country will abide by international rules governing refugee rights and cooperate with the UN refugee agency when implementing a deal reached with the European Union on taking back migrants.

The official also says that European nations won’t “pick and choose” the Syrian refugees that they will take from Turkey according to religion or educational status, saying priority will be given to Syrians with special needs as identified by the refugee agency.

In this picture taken on Monday, April 20, 2015, Kurdish refugees sit outside their tents at the Arin Mirxan refugee camp, in Suruc town, Turkey. (AP/Hussein Malla) — Kurdish refugees sit outside their tents at the Arin Mirxan refugee camp, in Suruc town, Turkey, April 20, 2015. (AP/Hussein Malla)

Turkey and the EU struck a deal in Brussels last week under which irregular migrants who arrive in Greece will be returned to Turkey, and the EU will take an equal number of Syrians who are currently staying in refugee camps in Turkey.

Some 25 officials from Turkey’s migration authority had been sent to five Greek islands to help prepare for the return of the irregular migrants to Turkey, the official said.

The official requested anonymity in line with Turkish government rules.