Turkey's Prime Minister has said the number of migrants crossing illegally into Greece has dropped considerably, and it's proof that the much-criticised migration deal between Turkey and the European Union was working. Ahmet Davutolgu was speaking in Gaziantep -- near the country's border with Syria -- at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Council President Donald Tusk. Merkel, for her part, said she is pushing for the establishment of special security zones in Syria, near its border with Turkey, where refugees can find shelter.

"Now, after almost five months, when we review the work that has been done, it becomes clear that a lot has been achieved. First things first, in November, the number of daily illegal crossings across the Aegean Sea was about 6,000, and it was gradually decreased to 3,000 in January and then it was followed by 870 in March. And then as a result of implementing the joint mechanism since the 4th of April, it has dropped to as much as 130," Davutolgu said.

"I have always in my talks with the Prime Minister pleaded in favour of creating so-called safe zones, zones in which we can provide assurance and security guarantees and that has to be of the utmost immediate importance. Also, in our negotiations for a ceasefire, such areas or zones can be easily identified along the Turkey-Syria border. We have worked to see that happen and we have worked with great energy in that direction. The safer the people feel the less urgent the need for them to leave their country," Merkel said.

"Today together with Frans (Timmermans) we can declare that the value of committed projects will be about 1 billion euros (1.1-billion US dollars) this summer. And we are quite sure that we will achieve this very ambitious level," Tusk said.