February 10, 2016•Update: February 11, 2016
THE HAGUE
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Wednesday lambasted remarks telling Turkey to open its doors to refugees fleeing the civil war in Syria.
"I view the advice as hypocrisy given by several circles who do not move their muscle for a solution of the crisis in Syria. Unfortunately [this] includes the UN Security Council, who cannot say 'stop' to Russian bombardment that leads to a flow of refugees [...] to Turkey to 'open your doors'," said Davutoglu.
Davutoglu's remarks came at a joint news conference with his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte in The Hague.
Calling on the international community not to pin its "inability" on Turkey, Davutoglu said the country did not need any lesson or advice on this issue:
"We did not ask, while hosting 2.6 million Syrians, and are not asking anyone while providing all protections and means as well as providing every kind of means for 60,000 Syrians who are now at our door".
Turning to a €3 billion [$3.37] financial aid package for Turkey from the European Union for Syrian refugees, the prime minister said the sum was not Turkish benefit, but for Syrian people.
"Turkey is not a country that is away from humanitarian conscience to make a refugee bargain with €3 billion. We have never bargained [over] the cost of refugees and will not do," Davutoglu added.
Davutoglu said the refugee issue was not one which just a single country or neighboring countries could bear, but an issue for humanity.
Davutoglu said: "The scene we face today is above all a field of humanitarian responsibility."
- 'Chemical weapons' report
Later, Davutoglu also met with Ahmet Uzumcu -- Director-General of the Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW.
"There are certain intelligence reports and some indications that there may be other stocks of chemical weapons inside Syria, and this is a big threat against Syrian people who are suffering a huge humanitarian tragedy in the last five years," the Turkish premier said after the meeting.
"We will be following all these intelligence reports and work with the OPCW," he added.
