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.


Rubio Announced Major Shift in Foreign Aid Strategy Ahead of Venezuela Moves
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell Under Criminal Investigation
Seattle order to stop drug arrests ‘creating havoc’ for people fending off addicts surviving on theft: expert
LA protesters swarm U-Haul truck that drove through anti-Iranian regime gathering
Inside the lightning US strike that overwhelmed Venezuela’s defenses and seized Maduro
Alleged J6 Pipe Bomber Pleads Not Guilty After Reportedly Saying He Did it to Defend Biden’s Election Win
J6 Officer Praised By the Media Appears to Call for Violence Against ICE Agents
US raid in Venezuela signals deterrence to adversaries on three fronts, experts say
Meet Aaron Day, the 2016 spoiler who could sink Senate GOP hopes in New Hampshire
Rand Paul says Trump’s threat to bomb Iran ‘is not the answer’: Not the ‘job of the American government’
San Antonio ends its abortion travel fund after new state law, legal action
Los Angeles wildfire recovery enters second year as frustration and uncertainty linger
Smithsonian replaces Trump portrait display, strips Jan. 6 and impeachment references from accompanying text
Trump says Greenland’s defense is ‘two dog sleds’ as he pushes for US acquisition of territory
Wild video shows federal agents detaining 2 men at Minnesota gas station as agitators gather

See also  Senate Democrats spent lavishly on luxury retreats during government shutdown, filings show

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.


Rubio Announced Major Shift in Foreign Aid Strategy Ahead of Venezuela Moves
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell Under Criminal Investigation
Seattle order to stop drug arrests ‘creating havoc’ for people fending off addicts surviving on theft: expert
LA protesters swarm U-Haul truck that drove through anti-Iranian regime gathering
Inside the lightning US strike that overwhelmed Venezuela’s defenses and seized Maduro
Alleged J6 Pipe Bomber Pleads Not Guilty After Reportedly Saying He Did it to Defend Biden’s Election Win
J6 Officer Praised By the Media Appears to Call for Violence Against ICE Agents
US raid in Venezuela signals deterrence to adversaries on three fronts, experts say
Meet Aaron Day, the 2016 spoiler who could sink Senate GOP hopes in New Hampshire
Rand Paul says Trump’s threat to bomb Iran ‘is not the answer’: Not the ‘job of the American government’
San Antonio ends its abortion travel fund after new state law, legal action
Los Angeles wildfire recovery enters second year as frustration and uncertainty linger
Smithsonian replaces Trump portrait display, strips Jan. 6 and impeachment references from accompanying text
Trump says Greenland’s defense is ‘two dog sleds’ as he pushes for US acquisition of territory
Wild video shows federal agents detaining 2 men at Minnesota gas station as agitators gather

See also  DOJ sends prosecutors to Minnesota amid widening fraud investigation

“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