To turn a blind eye to the ordeal of the Syrian refugees and leave them to their fate is impossible. For Turkey, therefore, the financial burden of hosting the Syrian refugees is growing by the day, along with the refugee numbers, as the country now holds the title of the top refugee host. As Turkey's tourism and export revenues are falling, the money the country spends on the refugees keeps going up, raising questions on how long this situation can continue.

Turkey’s monthly spending on refugees has reached $500 million, a figure not limited to exceptional periods but apparently now the norm. In the eight months from July 2015 to February, the average monthly spending on refugees stands at $500 million, according to figures compiled from public statements by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the head of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

On July 9, 2015, Erdogan said Turkey had spent a total of $6 billion on refugees. The sum covered the period from 2011, when the influx of Syrians began, to June 2015. On Oct. 5 the same year, Erdogan put the figure at $7.5 billion, which meant another $1.5 billion had been spent over a period of three months, reaching an average of $500 million per month.

AFAD Chairman Fuat Oktay provided the latest update March 2, in a meeting with journalists from European Union countries. He stressed that the Syrians in Turkey benefit from free health care and free schooling for their children, and that the 26 refugee camps in the border regions met “all physical, social and psychological needs” of their inhabitants. He then disclosed the bill, saying, “Turkey has spent about $10 billion on Syrian refugees [to provide conditions] in line with UN standards.”