Andrzej Duda: When Turkey was hit by refugee crisis, EU allocated billions in aid, same natural now

European Union support for countries managing the Ukraine refugee crisis is "natural," Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Tuesday, comparing Turkey's situation six years ago, Agerpres reports.

Duda held a joint news conference in Bucharest with his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis, at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.

"When Turkey was hit by the Syrian refugee crisis, when millions of Syrian, Iraqi and Turkish citizens came to seek refuge there, the European Union allocated billions of euros in support of Turkey. I find it natural that the same support should be given to the countries that are today dealing with the refugee crisis, given the war in Ukraine related to the Russian aggression. I believe that both the European Commission and the European Council will take the necessary decisions in the near future and that this aid will be able to reach us as soon as possible," said the Polish president, according to the official Romanian translation.

He mentioned that Romania and Poland are receiving people seeking refuge from the war in Ukraine.

"They are not refugees, they are our guests. We are welcoming them in our homes, in our cities, in our villages. Wherever they go, they can find a quiet place. People come wholeheartedly and give them gifts and money. But we need international assistance. We deeply believe that the aid will come to our countries, help from the European Union in the first place, which is a natural thing," added the Polish chief of state.