Turkey Can’t Take New Migrants From Afghanistan — Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that his
country would not be able to cope with an “additional burden of
migrants” arriving from Afghanistan.

“A new wave of migration is inevitable if the necessary measures
are not taken in Afghanistan and in Iran,” Erdogan said during a
telephone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“Turkey, which already has five million refugees, cannot take an
additional burden of migrants,” he told Merkel.

Erdogan made similar comments to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos
Mitsotakis on Friday.

Erdogan also accused Brussels of being “evasive” with regard to
Ankara’s request to revise a 2016 deal between Turkey and the
European Union aimed at stemming flows of would-be refugees.

Signed in 2015 during the EU’s migrant crisis, the accord allows
“irregular” migrants reaching the Greek islands to be returned to
Turkey in exchange for aid.

The EU also pledged to work with Ankara on upgrading an existing
customs union and on paving the way for Turkey’s eventual accession
to the bloc.

Turkey further wants visa-free travel to EU nations and the
resumption of regular summits between the two sides.

But Ankara has regularly accused the EU of not keeping to the
terms of the accord.

Merkel’s office, for its part, responded by saying that the
evacuation of people from Afghanistan remains “the top
priority”.

The two leaders agreed to “close cooperation to support the work
of international organisations, in particular, UN refugee aid
agencies, in Afghanistan and in neighbouring countries,” said a
spokeswoman for Merkel.

(AFP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that his
country would not be able to cope with an “additional burden of
migrants” arriving from Afghanistan.

“A new wave of migration is inevitable if the necessary measures
are not taken in Afghanistan and in Iran,” Erdogan said during a
telephone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“Turkey, which already has five million refugees, cannot take an
additional burden of migrants,” he told Merkel.

Erdogan made similar comments to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos
Mitsotakis on Friday.

Erdogan also accused Brussels of being “evasive” with regard to
Ankara’s request to revise a 2016 deal between Turkey and the
European Union aimed at stemming flows of would-be refugees.

Signed in 2015 during the EU’s migrant crisis, the accord allows
“irregular” migrants reaching the Greek islands to be returned to
Turkey in exchange for aid.

The EU also pledged to work with Ankara on upgrading an existing
customs union and on paving the way for Turkey’s eventual accession
to the bloc.

Turkey further wants visa-free travel to EU nations and the
resumption of regular summits between the two sides.

But Ankara has regularly accused the EU of not keeping to the
terms of the accord.

Merkel’s office, for its part, responded by saying that the
evacuation of people from Afghanistan remains “the top
priority”.

The two leaders agreed to “close cooperation to support the work
of international organisations, in particular, UN refugee aid
agencies, in Afghanistan and in neighbouring countries,” said a
spokeswoman for Merkel.

(AFP)