Published on 12:00 AM, September 06, 2019

Give support or deal with refugees

Erdogan threatens Europe over Syria safe zone, aid

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday warned Turkey would be forced to open the doors to Syrian refugees fleeing to Europe if Ankara did not get more international support.

Turkey is home to more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees and recently called for a “safe zone” in the war-torn country’s northeast, to which refugees could return.

If the safe zone does not happen, “we will be forced to open the doors. You either give support, or if you won’t, sorry, but we can only put up with so much,” Erdogan said.

“Are we going to shoulder this burden alone?” he asked during the televised speech in Ankara.

Erdogan claimed Turkey had spent $40 billion on refugees and criticised the West, especially the European Union, for failing to live up to its promises.

Under a 2016 agreement, the EU promised Ankara six billion euros ($6.6 billion) in exchange for stronger controls on refugees leaving its territory for Europe, but Erdogan said only three billion euros had so far arrived.

“We may be forced to do this (open the gates) to get this (international support),” he said.

Turkey fears a fresh influx of refugees as the Syrian government advances into the last rebel stronghold of Idlib.