News Opinons Politics

Erdogan Opens the Gates: Syrian Migrants Granted Unhindered Passage to Europe

The Turkish government has announced that for the next 72 hours it will open its border with Syria and allow any and all migrants to go to Europe unhindered.

A senior official has claimed that the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has opened the borders for Syrian asylum seekers and other migrants and will not prevent anyone from heading to Europe by land or by sea, Reuters reports.

According to the news service, all Turkish border and police officials have been ordered by the government to stand down along with members of the Turkish coastguard.


The move comes after the Turkish government claims to expect a wave of migrants after around one million people were displaced in Idlib.


Appeals court rules ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ can stay open, rejecting push for federal environmental impact review
EXCLUSIVE: DHS honors angel families during National Crime Victims Week, calls crimes ‘completely preventable’
Democrats win Virginia redistricting fight, threatening Republican House majority
‘Melrose Place’ and ‘Starship Troopers’ Actor Patrick Muldoon Dies at Age 57
Top House Republican Warns Ilhan Omar That Her Financial Disclosure Revision Won’t Save Her
EXCLUSIVE: Pence warns GOP ‘must deliver,’ or Planned Parenthood gets taxpayer cash on Fourth of July deadline
House Republican Campaign Committee Blows Democrats Away with Historic Fundraising Quarter
Pro-Iran Jimmy Kimmel Mocks Peace Talks, Says He’s ‘More Likely to Believe the Ayatollah’ Than Trump
Federal court upholds Texas law requiring Ten Commandments in public classrooms
DOJ says Southern Poverty Law Center funneled $3M+ to white supremacist and extremist groups
Trump and DeSantis Discuss Appointment to Key Administration Position: Report
Rep. Luna calls for GOP ticket of JD Vance and Marco Rubio in 2028
‘ICON’: Biden DOJ officials privately fawned over Fani Willis as they coordinated on Trump investigation
BREAKING: President Trump Makes Major Announcement About Upcoming Attack on Iran
High school counselor pleads guilty to multiple sex crimes involving teen she was meant to help

See also  Republicans Cline and Presler rally against Virginia redistricting vote

According to Turkish journalist Ragip Soylu, “Land and sea crossings to Europe would be free to pass for the NEXT 72 HOURS and Turkey will open the borders immediately.”

Following the signing of the migrant agreement, brokered in 2015 and came into effect in 2016, between the European Union and Turkey, President Erdogan and his ministers have made repeated threats to open the border.

Last year Erdogan made several threats to “open the gates” including a threat in September in which he demanded aid from European countries to build a “security zone” along the border to settle around one million asylum seekers.


Appeals court rules ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ can stay open, rejecting push for federal environmental impact review
EXCLUSIVE: DHS honors angel families during National Crime Victims Week, calls crimes ‘completely preventable’
Democrats win Virginia redistricting fight, threatening Republican House majority
‘Melrose Place’ and ‘Starship Troopers’ Actor Patrick Muldoon Dies at Age 57
Top House Republican Warns Ilhan Omar That Her Financial Disclosure Revision Won’t Save Her
EXCLUSIVE: Pence warns GOP ‘must deliver,’ or Planned Parenthood gets taxpayer cash on Fourth of July deadline
House Republican Campaign Committee Blows Democrats Away with Historic Fundraising Quarter
Pro-Iran Jimmy Kimmel Mocks Peace Talks, Says He’s ‘More Likely to Believe the Ayatollah’ Than Trump
Federal court upholds Texas law requiring Ten Commandments in public classrooms
DOJ says Southern Poverty Law Center funneled $3M+ to white supremacist and extremist groups
Trump and DeSantis Discuss Appointment to Key Administration Position: Report
Rep. Luna calls for GOP ticket of JD Vance and Marco Rubio in 2028
‘ICON’: Biden DOJ officials privately fawned over Fani Willis as they coordinated on Trump investigation
BREAKING: President Trump Makes Major Announcement About Upcoming Attack on Iran
High school counselor pleads guilty to multiple sex crimes involving teen she was meant to help

See also  Jeanine Pirro accused of trying to ‘circumvent’ Jerome Powell investigation through unprompted Fed ‘tour’

“Give us logistical support, and we can build houses up to 30 kilometres into the north of Syria,” he said and added, “Either that happens, or we open the gates.”

As of September, EU spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud noted that the political bloc had paid Turkey 5.6 billion euros as part of the EU-Turkey migrant pact.

Greece is the likely first stop for any of the migrants heading to Europe in the next 72 hours and was already expecting a surge in migrant numbers this year, with Manos Logothetis, the government commissioner for the initial reception of refugees, predicting 100,000 by the end of 2020.

It is estimated that as many as 3.6 million Syrian asylum seekers are currently in Turkey.

Story cited here.

Share this article:
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter