EP praises Turkey's relief efforts for Syrian refugees

In a resolution on the situation in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain in the context of the Arab Spring, the European Parliament yesterday praised Turkey for keeping its doors open to Syrian refugees and called on Ankara and the European Union to step up their efforts to promote democratization in the Middle East and North Africa. "The EP … welcomes Turkey's policy of maintaining open borders for Syrian refugees and the rapid mobilization of the Red Crescent's resources," stated the resolution. It added, "[The EP] welcomes the acknowledgement by the EU of the efforts by Turkey and other regional partners to deal with the various aspects of the crisis, in particular its humanitarian aspects and calls on Turkey and the EU to step up their foreign policy coordination." The EP also called on the European Council and the European Commission to immediately provide aid and support to Turkish and Lebanese authorities in their efforts to manage the humanitarian crises on their borders with Syria.