Macedonian president praises Turkey over refugee policy

By Semra Orkan</p> <p>ISTANBUL (AA) – Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov praised Turkey over its open-door policy during an event Thursday in Istanbul. </p> <p>“Turkish people have shown their humanity by opening their doors to 4 million Syrians,” Ivanov said during a conference titled “Europe’s Bermuda Triangle, Changing Balances in Balkans and Turkey”. </p> <p>“Turkey has also always opened its doors to migrants coming from the Caucasus and Balkans,” he said. </p> <p>Blasting European countries over their stance on refugees, he said “Islamophobia has emerged when Europe has accepted 1 million asylum seekers”.</p> <p>&quot;But nobody asks Turkey how much money it’s spent for asylum seekers so far.”</p> <p>Turkey hosts more Syrian refugees than any other country in the world.</p> <p>The country has spent more than $32 billion from its own national resources for helping and sheltering refugees since the beginning of the Syrian civil war.</p> <p>Recalling the Ottoman Empire’s stance over people with different cultures and languages, Ivanov said “there was respect and understanding during the Ottoman Empire”.</p> <p>“This meant respecting religions and traditions of different societies. This legacy has established Macedonia.”

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