His own message on the occasion World Refugee Day, the turkish president sent Recep Tayyip Erdoganaccording to what the SKAI correspondent in Istanbul, Manolis Kostidis, broadcasts.

Specifically, Erdogan states:

“In different parts of the world, especially in the geography where our country is located, people are forced to migrate due to reasons such as terrorism, conflict, civil war, famine and hunger. Today, the number of displaced people is approaching 110 million. 35.3 million of them continue their lives as refugees outside their countries of birth, while 62.5 million have been displaced within their countries.

Our position on the issue of irregular immigration and refugees, which is a global challenge, is the protection of human life and dignity along with the security of our country. Our nation, which for centuries has indiscriminately protected those fleeing oppression, has recently again demonstrated the same conscientious attitude to crises in our region, from Syria to Ukraine. Always fulfilling the duty of humanity and good neighborliness, Turkey supports the safe, voluntary and dignified return of asylum seekers to their homelands and implements the necessary projects for this purpose.

We reject hate speech against refugees, neo-Nazi ideology, Islamophobia and xenophobia, which have taken root in Western countries and have spread through some societies like poison ivy. We face as a threat to human values ​​and the common future of humanity these sick currents, which consider no one human except their own race, culture and faith.

The arrogant mentality, which has its roots in colonialism, has greatly contributed to the transformation of the Mediterranean, which has been the cradle of civilizations throughout historyin a giant refugee cemetery in recent years. Last week’s humanitarian tragedy in the Aegean, where hundreds of innocent people, mostly children, lost their lives, is the latest shameful example.

It is imperative that the international community, especially those countries that preach human rights and democracy to everyone but themselves, take responsibility. The refugee issue can only be solved by eliminating the conditions that cause migration and forced displacement at their source. The successful implementation of the Global Compact for Refugees, adopted in December 2018 with the active contribution of Turkey, is crucial in this respect. We call on all interested parties to make greater efforts both to implement the Pact and to meet the obligations arising from it.”