Turkish president holds Europe responsible for every refugee death who died on their journey fleeing from insurgencies of their countries
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan blamed the West for the latest fatality of refugees both in the Mediterranean Sea and on European roads.
“European countries, which toured the Mediterranean as a graveyard for refugees, are responsible for every refugee death," Erdoğan said at the global economic conference in the capital Ankara on Thursday.
"Will the humanity not be held accountable for the three-year-old Syrian boy?" Erdoğan said, referring to the tragic death of Syrian infant Aylan Kurdi, whose body washed up on a Turkish shore on Wednesday, in a failed attempt by refugees to sail to the Greek island of Kos.
“Not only refugees but our humanity, too, drowns in the Mediterranean," he added.
The Turkish president stated that Western countries did not show the required sensitivity against the development in Iraq and Syria that burned many neighboring countries like “a shirt on fire".
Erdoğan slammed Europe for their migrant policies which allow refugees to enter European territory upon their level of education and ethnic background.
He called on developed countries to be more sensitive to the immigration crisis
"I call on developed countries, notably in Europe, to be more sensitive in the face of human dramas,"
He vowed that Turkey has kept and will continue to keep its door open to the refugees.
“We accept all refugees. We do not look at ethnic background or level of education. We, in Turkey, have an open door," he said.
"We are human, and as we are human, we have to approach them with the same love we have for all humans."
Turkey has taken in 2 million refugees since the Syrian civil war began in March 2011 and has already spent $6.5 billion on caring for them.
Erdoğan said the global security system which was established after WW II to protect the oppressed is not functioning properly. The system protects oppressors rather than the oppressed now, he stated.
He also touched upon the global economic crisis and called on G20 countries to turn the crisis into opportunities.
Increasing inequality since the financial crisis must be addressed, particularly that for women, he said.
“Elimination of youth unemployment is also a priority of the G20, with the goal of decreasing it by 15 percent," Erdogan said, adding: “We have set up G20 agenda to address this employment issue."
I invite the whole world to be sensitive, and cooperate in the fight against terrorism
The president also highlighted that Turkey was a successful example of integration with global economy and other emerging economies should follow a similar path.
He also asked the G20 countries to cooperate more to eliminate terrorism. "I invite the whole world to be sensitive and cooperate in the fight against terrorism," he said.
Turkey took over the G20 presidency on Dec. 1, 2014.
