Turkey reluctant to join new US program for Afghan refugees
Turkey is reluctant to join a new US program for Afghan refugees.
Turkey has sharply criticized the United States for including a third country like Turkey in its program to shelter Afghan refugees.
On Monday, the US State Department announced a new refugee admission program for Afghan citizens.
The program also includes resettling Afghans in third countries in the region for about a year until arrangements for their repatriation to the United States are completed.
The US State Department has identified Turkey, including Pakistan, as a possible temporary refuge for Afghans.
Turkey, already home to more than 4 million refugees, says it has not been consulted.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday night that it was unacceptable to find a solution to the problem in our country without the consent of our country.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry added that the US plan would lead to a major migration crisis in our region and that Turkey does not have the capacity to deal with the new migration crisis.
As should be noted that with the continuous withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan, Turkey fears a new wave of refugees.
In this regard, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkish officials were holding high-level talks with their Afghan counterparts on the issue.
In light of the current situation in the region following the withdrawal of US and coalition forces from Afghanistan, the United States on Monday announced a new plan for Afghan refugees.