'EU to give additional 3 bln euros over 2 years'

ANKARA

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Thursday that Turkey would receive the additional 3 billion euros, agreed upon in a refugee deal with the EU, throughout the next two years until 2018.

Davutoglu's remarks came during his address to the nation on Turkish television.

"The EU has promised to give the additional 3 billion euros [$3.4 billion] to Turkey until 2018," Davutoglu said.

The premier said that Turkey would start to spend the first installment of 3 billion euros on April 16 to meet the needs of Syrian refugees in the southern province of Kilis, which is hosting more refugees than local population.

Earlier in March, the EU and Turkey agreed on a deal to cut off the refugee flow from Turkey.

According to the deal, as of April 4, for every Syrian refugee or asylum seeker sent to Turkey from the Greek islands, a Syrian refugee from Turkish camps would be resettled in the EU. The EU also pledged to speed up Turkey’s accession talks.

According to Davutoglu, the deal also includes visa-free travel to EU for Turkish citizens as of June if Turkey fulfills required conditions by May 4.

Indeed, Turkey must fulfill, in total, 72 requirements.

Turkey is hosting the largest number of Syrian refugees in the world and has spent more than seven billion euros ($7.7 billion) on meeting their needs, according to European Commission figures released last year.