Turkey Needs To Be Better At Explaining The Promised €6 Billion From The EU

“There are different numbers out there.  I think numbers have to be clarified.  Because we are all accountable to that.”  EC President Ursula von der Leyen

The government of Turkey must do better with explaining the economics of refugees and migrants arriving from Syria to Turkey and those remaining inside Syria along the border with Turkey.   

The core of the explanation needs to be focused upon the €6 billion allocated in 2016 by the then twenty-eight (now twenty-seven) members of the Brussels, Belgium-based European Union (EU).   

There remains global confusion, particularly in the United States, as to what the €6 billion means.   

This is due to disagreement by the EU and government of Turkey as to what has been promised, what has been allocated, what has been delivered, what additional funding is required and how all of the funding has been and should be used in Turkey- and most efficiently controlled by whom.   

The government of Turkey has reported the EU has not maintained its commitments from 2016, including implementing changes to visa policies for Turkish nationals.  Separately, the EU allocated €3.533 billion (approximately €740 million annually) not including Cross-border cooperation for 2014 to 2020 as pre-accession support to the government of Turkey. 

An indisputable fact is the number of refugees entering Turkey since 2016 has continued to increase, so the value of the allocated/delivered/dispersed €6 billion from the EU has continued to decrease on a per-person basis- particularly when there remains in dispute how much of the €6 billion has been allocated, delivered and dispersed in Turkey.  Based upon the current number of refugees in Turkey, the value of EU assistance per person would be approximately US$1,463.00 for the period 2016 to 2020; or approximately US$366.00 on an annual basis. 

Have all the funds been allocated?  Disbursed?  What has the government of Turkey received?  What has been spent in Turkey but not by the government of Turkey?  Where in Turkey have the funds been spent in Turkey?  Upon what have the funds been spent in Turkey?  There is an immense amount of unnecessary confusion.   

The government of Turkey has also reported spending approximately US$40 billion of its taxpayer funds on assistance to refugees since 2011.  That’s a meaningful value when accounting for deficit spending by the government of Turkey. 

There is a compelling narrative that should be presented.   

Fact One: Turkey, with a population of approximately 85 million, hosts more refugees than any country: approximately 4.1 million of which approximately 3.7 million are from Syria.  Refugees represent approximately 5% in additional population responsibilities for Turkey.  Lebanon has the highest per capita number of refugees- representing one in four residents in the country. 

Fact Two: The refugees have become a commercial, economic and political contagion impacting how citizens of Turkey perceive themselves and are perceived by others. 

Confusion About The €6 billion 

From the Catholic News Service on 5 March 2020: H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Turkey, “demand to add some $3.5 billion in funding for the refugees’ stay in Turkey, in addition to the approximately $6 billion Turkey has already received.”  That statement is false, but indicative of the generally accepted belief.In 2016, the EU allocated €6 billion for use in Turkey to be disbursed in two tranches of €3 billion. 

According to the Brussels, Belgium-based European Commission (EC), €3 billion been allocated and disbursed in Turkey to support educating more than 500,000 children from Syria. 

The EC has reported that the second €3 billion would be made available.  The government of Turkey has reported receiving €2.22 billion from the EU.  The financial assistance from the EU is reported for projects in Turkey rather than funds delivered to the government of Turkey. 

The EU has also reported that €4.7 billion has been contracted of which €2.4 billion is humanitarian assistance has been contracted. 

Recently, EC President Ursula von der Leyen shared that the agreement was “important and complex.”  President von der Leven acknowledged disagreement between the EU/EC as to whether the €6 billion has been disbursed- “There are different numbers out there.  I think numbers have to be clarified.  Because we are all accountable to that.” 

According to the EU  

“More than 4 million refugees in Turkey (Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Interior).  EU humanitarian funding through the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey: €2.4 billion allocated in 2016-2019.  Total aid under the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey: €3 billion in 2016- 2017 and €3 billion in 2018 – 2019.” 

“The EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey was set up in 2015 in response to the European Council's call for significant additional funding to support Syrian refugees in Turkey. It has a total budget of €6 billion divided into two equal tranches of €3 billion each.” 

“Out of the funds of €6 billion, over €5.6 billion has been allocated, over €3.5 billion contracted and over €2.4 billion has already been disbursed, with over 80 projects already rolled out. EU humanitarian aid in Turkey focuses on supporting the most vulnerable refugees through projects in health, education, protection and meeting basic needs.” 

“EU humanitarian funding in Turkey currently stands at €2.4 billion already allocated under the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey. The Facility, created in 2016 to assist Turkey in its large-scale efforts to support refugees, is funded from the EU budget and additional contributions from EU Member States. So far, the EU has contracted 63 humanitarian projects with 21 humanitarian organisations under the Facility to support refugees and vulnerable people in Turkey. These projects are complementary to the EU’s non-humanitarian assistance under the Facility for Refugees in Turkey, which focuses on education, health, migration management, municipal infrastructure and socio-economic support, and is channelled through the European Commission's Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations.” 

“Turkey currently hosts over 4 million refugees and the EU is committed to assist Turkey in dealing with this challenge. The EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey, managing a total of €6 billion in two tranches, provides for a joint coordination mechanism, designed to ensure that the needs of refugees and host communities in Turkey are addressed in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. The Facility focuses on humanitarian assistance, education, migration management, health, municipal infrastructure, and socio-economic support.” 

“Both tranches combined, all operational funds have been committed, €4.7 billion contracted and €3.2 billion disbursed.” 

“August 2019: To ensure refugees continue to be supported by the EU's largest humanitarian programme in Turkey, the Commission has today announced an additional €127 million to the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) programme via the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey. This new funding brings the total EU contribution to the programme to €1.125 billion…. Christos Stylianides, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, said: “The EU is upholding its commitments to Turkey and the most vulnerable refugees. Our new funding will allow us to reach more than 1.6 million refugees, helping them to live in dignity in Turkey. Our financial assistance programme is a success story of innovation in humanitarian aid and has given many families a chance to build a secure future after having fled the war in Syria.''  The ESSN programme provides refugees with monthly financial assistance through a special debit card which can only be used within Turkey and whose use is strictly monitored. It helps refugees integrate into the local economy and society as they pay for basic needs themselves such as food and rent.” 

“The ESSN programme is implemented by EU humanitarian partners, in close collaboration with the Turkish authorities. With financing from the EU over 1.6 million refugees receive around €20 per person per month, plus quarterly top-ups to help meet their basic needs such as rent and food. Registered refugees who use the debit cards are known and monitored on a regular basis.  In addition to humanitarian assistance, development projects under the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey focuses on education, migration management, health, municipal infrastructure, and socio-economic support.”