Turkey marks International Migrants' Day

By Satuk Bugra Kutlugun

ANKARA

Turkey on Monday marked International Migrants' Day with a renewed pledge to uphold the rights of all migrants and refugees.

"Our world has been on the move throughout history. And today is no different as millions of people seek new homes away from their birth places," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu wrote on his official Twitter account.

"We must protect and uphold the rights of all migrants and refugees. Let's make sure that no one is left behind," he said.

United Nations highlighted International Migrants Day -- annually marked on Dec. 18 -- with the theme of "Safe Migration in a World on the Move."

"Migration has always been with us. Climate change, demographics, instability, growing inequalities, and aspirations for a better life, as well as unmet needs in labour markets, mean it is here to stay," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.

"The answer is effective international cooperation in managing migration to ensure that its benefits are most widely distributed, and that the human rights of all concerned are properly protected," Guterres said.