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.


DC’s bid to block Trump’s National Guard deployment hits basic legal snag: Can’t sue itself
Spanberger ripped after taking credit for billions in investments secured under GOP predecessor: ‘Pathetic’
He’s Out! Disgraced Lawyer Michael Avenatti Moves to Hollywood Halfway House to Finish Prison Sentence
Five ways Mullin is already pushing DHS in a new direction
Trump blasts CNN and New York Times for reporting on a ‘fake ten point plan’
Michigan woman arrested for allegedly starving, torturing disabled sister-in-law she locked in basement
South Carolina pastor, wife arrested after alleged sexual, physical abuse of foster children
Dem lawmaker calls for TSA to bring back shoes-off airport security policy
Former Fort Bragg employee charged with leaking classified military information to journalist
Wisconsin couple allegedly starved six children for years, forcing them to eat mold, bugs and dog food
Trump seeks to wipe away entire New York civil fraud judgement
Acting AG Todd Blanche Says DOJ Has Over 8,000 Fraud Cases Underway, And It’s the Tip of the Iceberg
Missouri Incumbents Voted Out a Week After Ignoring Public Pressure on Data Center
Suspect in Iryna Zarutska Killing Declared ‘Incapable to Proceed’ in Murder Trial
BREAKING: FBI Arrests Ex-SOCOM Employee Over Leak to Media 48 Hours After Trump Said Justice Was Coming for Leakers – DEVELOPING

See also  Iranian intelligence chief and militia commander among those killed in Israeli strikes

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.


DC’s bid to block Trump’s National Guard deployment hits basic legal snag: Can’t sue itself
Spanberger ripped after taking credit for billions in investments secured under GOP predecessor: ‘Pathetic’
He’s Out! Disgraced Lawyer Michael Avenatti Moves to Hollywood Halfway House to Finish Prison Sentence
Five ways Mullin is already pushing DHS in a new direction
Trump blasts CNN and New York Times for reporting on a ‘fake ten point plan’
Michigan woman arrested for allegedly starving, torturing disabled sister-in-law she locked in basement
South Carolina pastor, wife arrested after alleged sexual, physical abuse of foster children
Dem lawmaker calls for TSA to bring back shoes-off airport security policy
Former Fort Bragg employee charged with leaking classified military information to journalist
Wisconsin couple allegedly starved six children for years, forcing them to eat mold, bugs and dog food
Trump seeks to wipe away entire New York civil fraud judgement
Acting AG Todd Blanche Says DOJ Has Over 8,000 Fraud Cases Underway, And It’s the Tip of the Iceberg
Missouri Incumbents Voted Out a Week After Ignoring Public Pressure on Data Center
Suspect in Iryna Zarutska Killing Declared ‘Incapable to Proceed’ in Murder Trial
BREAKING: FBI Arrests Ex-SOCOM Employee Over Leak to Media 48 Hours After Trump Said Justice Was Coming for Leakers – DEVELOPING

See also  Israel issues ‘urgent’ warning to Iranian civilians to ‘refrain’ from train travel

“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