Erdogan Threatens to Open Doors for Refugees to Europe Unless EU Provides Enough Support to Turkey
The European Union has paid three billion euros to Turkey under a 2016 deal to contain the influx of refugees to Europe. Ankara has repeatedly complained about the slow pace of disbursements, threatening to let migrants cross through its territory.
Turkey will have to open its borders to let asylum-seekers flow into Europe unless the European Union takes steps to assist Ankara with the burden, President Erdogan said on Thursday, during his visit to Budapest, Hungary.
"Whether we receive support or not, we will continue to aid the guests we are hosting. But, if this doesn't work out, then we will have to open the doors", Erdogan said at a news conference, speaking alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
In March 2016, the European Union and Turkey concluded a migration deal in which they agreed that Syrian refugees arriving in Greece would be returned to Turkey if their claim for asylum was rejected, while Syrian asylum seekers in Turkey would be resettled in Europe on a one-for-one basis. Brussels, in turn, vowed to provide financial aid to the country to cover the costs of receiving migrants.
However, Turkey has repeatedly stressed that the bloc is not meeting its commitments on the readmission of migrants under the agreement with Ankara.
- Source : Sputnik News
