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Turkey opens gates towards the border: over 35,000 migrants en route to the EU?

2020-02-29T19:48:21.486Z


Despite the refugee pact, President Erdogan opens Turkey's border with the EU for refugees. Reason: disappointment. Dramatic scenes follow. How far do migrants get?


Despite the refugee pact, President Erdogan opens Turkey's border with the EU for refugees. Reason: disappointment. Dramatic scenes follow. How far do migrants get?

  • 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in the Syrian region of Idlib .
  • This happened in an air raid that had emanated from Syrian "regime forces" .
  • A Turkish state media said that the Turkish military had retaliated.

Update 20:31: According to its own information, Turkey has let more than 35,000 migrants cross the border towards the EU. By Saturday evening (7 p.m. CET), 36,776 migrants would have crossed the border via the province of Edirne, the Turkish Minister of the Interior Süleyman Soylu said on Saturday evening via Twitter.

In the province of Edirne there are border crossings to Greece and Bulgaria. However, until the evening, neither Sofia nor Athens reported the arrival of large numbers of migrants, so to date there is no confirmation of the announcement.

Erdogan had previously confirmed that Turkey was no longer holding refugees on their way to Europe and said that the border had been opened to migrants. Since Friday, numerous migrants in Turkey have been making their way to the border and trying to get into the European Union. The Turkish head of state accuses the EU of not adhering to agreed agreements within the framework of the refugee pact.

Is anyone surprised that #Tuerkei is breaking the #flight refugee pact now?

There was once talk of reducing the #flight causes: if one perceives the global refugee movements as permanently unacceptable, perhaps take up again? #Greece

- Christina Uhlig (@Chr_Uhlig) February 29, 2020

Erdogan Opens Gates: Thousands of Refugees at the EU Border

Update 5:50 pm: According to activists, Turkish armed forces have killed at least 45 soldiers of the Syrian government in the Syrian provinces of Idlib and Aleppo . Turkey has attacked areas near the cities of Sarakib and Marat al-Numan with fighter planes, drones and artillery, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. In addition, Turkish troops with surface-to-surface missiles attacked factories and a research facility east of Aleppo.

According to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey had carried out several attacks in the neighboring country . Plants for the construction of chemical weapons as well as air defense systems and runways were destroyed. More than 300 military vehicles were destroyed, including more than 90 tanks. However, the Syrian government denied the allegations made in Istanbul and accused Erdogan of "misleading" statements and exaggeration . If chemical weapons plants had really been destroyed in Syria, there would have been many deaths in the surrounding area, reported the Syrian news agency Sana .

Thousands of refugees at EU border: Erdogan has "opened gates"

Update 11.42 : "We have opened the gates": With these words, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday emphasized that despite the agreements with Brussels he wants to let thousands of refugees cross the borders with the EU . This is reported by the AFP news agency . Erdogan accused the EU of not keeping the commitments in the Refugee Pact. According to him, 18,000 refugees have already come to the Turkish borders to the EU since Friday.

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What are the consequences of the decision of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan?

© Presidential Press Service / AP / dpa

In addition, according to Erdogan's words, Turkey has launched extensive attacks in Syria's Idlib province. Equipment for the construction of chemical weapons as well as air defense systems and airstrips were destroyed, Erdogan said in Istanbul. Several targets, including weapon depots and aircraft hangars, were "under heavy fire and destroyed". More than 300 military vehicles were destroyed, including more than 90 tanks.

According to Erdogan's announcement: Thousands of refugees on the border with the EU - violence breaks out

Update 10:31 : Greek police officers and thousands of refugees had violent clashes on the Greek-Turkish border on Saturday. According to a photographer from the AFP news agency, the police used tear gas against the refugees who had gathered in their thousands at the Pazarkule border crossing in the western Turkish province of Edirne. Some of them threw stones at the officers.

Violence broke out after Turkey announced that it would no longer prevent refugees who wanted to enter the EU from crossing the border. Greece, meanwhile, will continue to monitor Europe's border with Turkey and ban illegal entry into the EU. This was announced on Saturday by the Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos in the Greek news channel Skai. "Throughout the night, security forces prevented illegal border crossings," said the minister. There were several arrests of migrants. Turkey has been sending massive migrants to the border since Friday, Panagiotopoulos said.

EU receives “assurance” from Turkey that the refugee pact will be complied with

Update of February 29, 8.50 a.m .: Brussels has asked Ankara to comply with the obligations under the EU-Turkey Refugee Pact - which Turkey has agreed to, according to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell . On Friday (Feb. 28), a senior Turkish government official told AFP that Turkey would no longer close its borders to refugees "who want to go to Europe". On Friday evening, after a phone call to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu , Borrell said on Twitter that the EU had received an "assurance" from Turkey that Ankara would stick to its part of the refugee pact.

#Idlib - Spoke to Turkish Foreign Minister @MevlutCavusoglu. De-escalation remains key to effectively address challenges on ground. Human suffering and loss of life need to stop. Received reassurances that Turkey remains committed to Joint EU-Turkey Statement.

- Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) February 28, 2020

President Erdogan is on the phone with Bulgaria's head of government - one thing becomes clear

Update, February 28, 22:01: After reports of refugee movements towards the EU, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissow spoke with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the situation in Syria and on the Bulgarian EU external border. During the telephone call on Friday, it was clarified that "there is no direct threat to Bulgaria at this time," said the government in Sofia.

According to reports of refugee movements towards the European Union, the EU country Bulgaria strengthened the protection of its border with Turkey through gendarmes. In addition, 1,000 soldiers could be sent to the Turkish border, it said.

Borissow was certain that Bulgaria and Turkey would continue to work together to “overcome the crisis in Syria and end the migration flow”, the government said in Sofia. In this situation, neither Turkey nor any other country should be left alone to deal with it, said Borisov. "Support should be provided."

Borissow and Erdogan had arranged a meeting for Monday , it said without location.

Video: Syria conflict: is Turkey opening the borders now?

Merkel on the phone with Erdogan - "ruthless attacks"

18:39: Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) has condemned the "ruthless" attacks on Turkish troops in Idlib, Syria. In a phone call to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, Merkel also called for "an end to the offensive operations by the Syrian regime and its supporters," said government spokesman Steffen Seibert.

The Chancellor and Erdogan reportedly discussed the current situation and events in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, also with a view to the humanitarian situation of the displaced people on the spot. Both agreed that it was "urgent" to agree to a new ceasefire and "to start the necessary political talks as soon as possible", emphasized Seibert.

Drama in Idlib: Putin and Erdogan want to meet

5.25pm: After the death of dozens of Turkish soldiers in the northern Syrian province of Idlib, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan plan to meet in Moscow next week. The date was either on March 5 or 6 in the Russian capital, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskow told Interfax on Friday.

Previously, the two heads of state had already phoned and announced a meeting - without details. According to Kremaben, they were seriously concerned about the situation in Idlib.

Turkey speaks of easing controls at the EU border for refugees

17:24: The Turkish communications director spoke of a relaxation of controls at the borders with the EU for refugees in view of the escalation in Syria. Turkey is making intensive efforts to find shelter for refugees, but is being left alone. Because of this, she "only has one step left," Fahrettin Altun told journalists on Friday, according to the state news agency Anadolu. Turkey has no choice but to relax its efforts to curb refugee pressure.

It remained unclear with Altun's wording whether Turkey has already relaxed controls or is planning to do so. The Foreign Ministry had previously said that "there is no change in the refugee and migration policy of our country, which has accepted the most refugees in the world".

3:11 p.m .: NATO stands behind Turkey and has confirmed its solidarity with Ankara in view of the escalation in Syria. "The Allies condemn the continued ruthless air strikes by the Syrian regime and Russia on the Idlib province," said Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after a short-term meeting of the NATO ambassadors.

The NATO partners agreed that existing measures to support Ankara should be maintained. Allianz did not announce any additional support services. The Norwegian also called on Syria and Russia to end their offensive, respect international law and support the United Nations' efforts to find a peaceful solution: "This dangerous situation must be de-escalated."

14:28: After the military escalation in the Syrian province of Idlib , Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Turkish head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan have shown "deep concern" according to the Kremlin. In a telephone call on Friday, the two heads of state agreed that "additional measures" were needed to bring about a ceasefire in the region, Moscow said on Friday. Governments also considered the possibility of a timely summit .

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists that the call between Putin and Erdogan was primarily about the implementation of a ceasefire agreement for Idlib that Moscow and Ankara concluded in 2018. Both interlocutors had emphasized that "everything necessary" must be done to implement the agreement.

Turkey is backtracking: hundreds of refugees at the border - Greece closes

2:03 pm : Bulgaria has strengthened the protection of its border with Turkey after reports of refugee movements towards the European Union. The gendarmerie has already been stationed at the EU's external border, Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boiko Borissow said in Sofia on Friday. Defense Minister Krassimir Karakachanov announced that Bulgaria was prepared to send 1,000 soldiers to the Turkish border.

Migrants have gathered in the Turkish city of Edirne, near the Bulgarian border, explained Borisov. The Bulgarian border police prevented two groups of around 30 migrants each from entering Bulgaria on Friday morning, Karakachanov said on the website of his ministry. The minister was determined that the army would fully support border guards so that not a single migrant was illegally admitted to the territory of Bulgaria.

Borisov said he was now expecting a conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan . Bulgaria is counting on the implementation of the EU refugee pact with Turkey. So far, Borissow had repeatedly praised the good cooperation with Turkey.

Turkey is backtracking: Hundreds of refugees at the border - Greece closes transition

1:34 p.m .: Greece closed the border crossing to Turkey at Kastanies / Pazarkule on Friday. This was reported by the Greek state television (ERT). Hundreds of migrants had previously gathered at this crossing on the Greek-Turkish border river Evros, according to rumors that Turkish borders would be opened to refugees heading for Europe.

How long the closure will take is unclear, the Greek state television reported. Local reporters reported that on the Greek side, the government in Athens had gathered numerous police officers, border guards and soldiers .

The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had previously informed Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) about the procedure on the border with Turkey. This was announced by the Prime Minister's office in Athens. Details were not known.

Excitement about Turkey's border opening: EU expects deal to be kept

Update 1:07 p.m .: The European Union expects Turkey to continue to hold refugees. Both sides had signed an agreement four years ago that included measures against irregular migration and the return of migrants from the Greek islands to Turkey.

"This agreement is still valid and we expect Turkey to comply with its obligations under this agreement," said a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Brussels on Friday. The Turkish authorities officially confirmed on Friday that there was no change in the current policy towards asylum seekers, refugees or migrants, the spokesman said.

After the escalation in Syria: is Turkey opening its borders? Erdogan government backs down

Update at 12:39 pm: In the morning, a government official from the AFP news agency confirmed that Turkey would no longer close the borders for refugees "who want to go to Europe" - now Recep Tayyip is backing Erdogan's AKP government.

Turkey denies reports that it has opened the borders to Europe for the refugees in the country. "There is no change in the refugee and migration policy of our country, which has taken in the most refugees in the world," said a statement released on Friday by Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy .

Aksoy warned, however, that migration movements in Turkey towards the external borders could "increase if the situation worsens". The developments in Idlib and the mass displacement there would have "increased the migratory pressure on our country". This had also followed the refugees and migrants in the country, so that they had now started "moving towards our western borders".

Turkey: Does Erdogan open the borders? Hundreds of refugees on the border - Greece pulls police officers together

Update 12.12 p.m .: According to rumors about the opening of the Turkish borders for refugees towards Europe , hundreds of migrants have gathered at the Greek-Turkish border river Evros (Turkish: Meric). Greek state television (ERT) showed pictures on Friday of people waiting on the Turkish side of the Kastanies / Pazarkule border crossing for an opportunity to come to Greece. Local reporters reported that on the Greek side, the government in Athens had gathered numerous police officers, border guards and soldiers .

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Migrants stand on the coast after crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey with others and arriving in the village of Skala Sikaminias on the Greek island of Lesbos.

© dpa / Angelos Tzortzinis

Turkey attacks Syrian army: at least 16 dead

Update 12.20 p.m .: According to observers, at least 16 Syrian soldiers were killed in attacks by the Turkish armed forces on Syrian positions . The Turkish army attacked the Syrian positions east and south of the city of Idlib with artillery and from the air, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday. Accordingly, the attacks occurred around midnight.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said the state news agency Anadolu said the military had attacked more than 200 regime targets, neutralizing 309 soldiers. That can mean killed or injured. In addition, five helicopters, 23 tanks and buildings of a military headquarters were destroyed.

Update 10:31: On Friday, Russia sent two warships equipped with cruise missiles through the Bosphorus towards the Mediterranean. The Russian frigates "Admiral Makarow" and "Admiral Grigorowitsch" had previously left the port of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula, as a spokesman for the Russian army said. The move came hours after the military escalation between the Turkish army and Syrian government forces in Idlib, with dozens killed.

The two warships are equipped with high-precision cruise missiles of the calibration NK type, said the spokesman for the Russian fleet, Alexei Rulev, according to Russian news agencies. It was a "scheduled transit". The ships are said to cross the Bosphorus and then the Dardanelles. The spokesman did not comment on the goal of the frigates. As a rule, Russian naval ships cross the Turkish strait to supply the Russian armed forces in Syria.

Turkey: "Here is the door to Europe" - Migrants apparently on the way to the border after Erdogan's announcement

Update 10.25 a.m .: Rumors about opening borders for refugees to Europe have set migrants in Turkey in motion. According to media, people in Istanbul came together in the Zeytinburnu district, among others, to take shared taxis and buses to Edirne or to coastal towns. On CNN Türk you could hear a man from a transport company who attracted people with the slogan "Here is the door to Europe". The TRT broadcaster showed scenes of migrants standing on a beach at dawn or walking across fields. The images could not be verified immediately.

However, it was initially still unclear whether it would really be possible to cross the border : observers initially considered the reports, which were primarily launched by media close to the government, to be a means of building pressure and getting help for the situation in northern Syrian Idlib .

Syria: EU warns of "greater, open international military confrontation"

Update 10 a.m .: The EU has called for an immediate end to the escalation in Syria . There is a risk of a "larger, open international military confrontation, " wrote EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Friday. At the same time, he promised "all necessary measures" to protect the EU's security interests. He didn't say what they could be. The conflict causes unbearable human suffering and puts civilians at risk. "The EU calls on all sides for rapid de-escalation."

Escalation in Syria: Erdogan opens borders to the EU - hundreds of refugees are already on the way

Update 8.51 a.m .: Now there is a confirmation: Turkey will no longer close the borders for refugees "who want to go to Europe". A senior government official said on Friday of the AFP news agency. Turkish media had previously reported that Turkey "opened " its borders to Greece and Bulgaria .

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP spokesman, Ömer Celik, told CNN Türk on Friday that during a government crisis meeting, it was noted that Turkey "could not withstand the pressure from newly arriving refugees." "There is only one thing the European Union can do and that is to help Turkey," he added. Erdogan had already threatened to open the borders at the end of last year.

Shortly after the attack in Idlib, reports were circulating in the Turkish media that the Turkish authorities had "opened" the borders to the EU. The daily newspaper Sabah , which is close to the Erdogan government , reported that this step had been decided at a crisis meeting led by the head of state.

As the news agency DHA reported, as a result of the media reports, hundreds of migrants in Turkey set off towards the EU borders . Almost 300 migrants, including Syrians, Iranians, Iraqis, Moroccans and Pakistanis, reached the province of Edirne on the Greek border in the morning. According to the DHA, another group of migrants was in Canakkale in western Turkey, from where they wanted to use boats to translate to Lesbos. However, the situation there is already more than precarious, as reported by Merkur.de * among others.

According to the UN, around 950,000 people have fled the contested areas in northwestern Syria since the beginning of December, including half a million children. Many of them live in catastrophic conditions in the border region with Turkey. Cold winter weather exacerbates the situation.

Syria: NATO's North Atlantic Council meets - on Friday

Update 8.15 a.m .: After the escalation of the conflict between Turkey and Syria , NATO's North Atlantic Council will meet for a special meeting this Friday. Turkey has requested this meeting under Article 4 of the NATO treaties, the military alliance said on Friday. Article 4 states that any ally can ask for advice at any time if he believes "the integrity of the area, political independence or the security of either party is at risk".

Escalation in Syria: Turkey demands help from NATO - and threatens to open borders for refugees

Update from February 28, 2020, 8:00 a.m .: On Thursday evening, an air raid in Idlib killed at least 33 Turkish soldiers and injured 36 others. Turkey blames the Syrian government - and has now called for the support of NATO and the international community.

The spokesman for the Islamic-conservative governing party AKP , Ömer Celik, demanded that NATO be on Turkey's side. At the same time, he barely threatened to open up the borders to Europe for Syrian refugees in the country : “Our refugee policy remains the same, but here we have a situation. We can no longer keep the refugees, ”he said.

In retaliation, Turkey attacked positions of the Syrian government troops on Friday night, as the Turkish communications director, Fahrettin Altun said. "We call on the entire international society to fulfill its duties," it said.

The Turkish soldiers killed in an airstrike in Idlib, a province in the north of Syria, were on the move at the time of the attack with the Islamist militia Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is close to Al Qaeda. The rebels had tried a large-scale offensive against the Syrian government forces on Friday night, the Ministry of Defense in Moscow said on Friday. "Turkish military personnel who were among the combat units of the terrorist groups also came under fire from the Syrian soldiers," it said.

The Turkish side had not announced the presence of its troops in the areas concerned. These "shouldn't have been there," it said from Moscow. However, no combat aircraft of the Russian military were used. Russia and the leadership in Damascus generally refer to all opponents of the government as terrorists.

Turkey apparently opens borders to Europe for Syrian refugees: arrival of hundreds of thousands expected

Update 23:02: Turkey has apparently decided to allow Syrian refugees to enter Europe unhindered. So far, the path had been blocked. Focus Online reports. A senior Turkish official communicated the news on Thursday.

The border between Syria and Turkey should also be opened. The background is that hundreds of thousands of Syrians fleeing the Idlib province are expected in Turkey. The impact of the decision on the Turkey-Europe agreement is not clear.

Update 10:42 pm: According to official information, at least 22 Turkish soldiers were killed in a Syrian airstrike in northern Syria. That said the governor of the southern Turkish border province Hatay, Rahmi Dogan, early Friday morning. There had previously been talk of nine deaths and serious injuries.

The Turkish Presidential Palace in Ankara had convened a special meeting on Idlib late Thursday evening. This was reported by TV channels such as CNN Türk and NTV. It therefore took two hours. According to the state news agency Anadolu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan led the security meeting himself. The largest opposition party, the CHP, is also said to have convened a meeting on Idlib.

Idlib is the last major rebel area in the civil war country. The situation there recently escalated. Turkey supports Islamist rebels in the conflict. It had reached an agreement with Russia, the Syrian government's protecting power, to set up a de-escalation zone in Idlib and set up observation posts there. A ceasefire actually applies. In recent weeks, however, the Syrian military has continued to advance in the area with Russian support.

Syria: Putin apparently does not want to come to Erdogan's summit

Update at 3:02 p.m .: Despite the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Syria , Russian President Vladimir Putin is not yet planning to attend a Syria summit on March 5 . The Turkish head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan had announced. In addition to Russia and Turkey, Germany and France are also expected to take part in the crisis meeting. But the Kremlin has now given Erdogan a refusal . "This is not currently in President Putin's schedule," said a spokesman for the Interfax agency on Thursday.

Putin also said that Putin already had other plans that day. However, there are other formats in which Russia talks to Turkey at expert level about the situation in northern Syria. Meanwhile, Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has again called for an immediate ceasefire in Idlib . "The suffering of the local people is indescribable," the SPD politician said on Thursday in the ARD lunchtime magazine before a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York. He also called for better access for aid supplies and stressed that out of the three million inhabitants of the Idlib province, almost one million have now fled .

Idlib: Two Turkish soldiers killed again in an air raid

First report from February 27, 2020: Ankara - Two Turkish soldiers have been killed in an airstrike in the northwest Syrian province of Idlib, according to official information. In addition, two other soldiers were injured in the attack , the Ministry of Defense in Ankara reported on Thursday via Twitter. The attack came from Syrian "regime forces", said the state news agency Anadolu. The Turkish military has retaliated. This means that the number of Turkish military personnel killed in the region in around a month has increased to 19 .

There should be a ceasefire in Idlib - but the reality is different

The province of Idlib is the last large rebel area in the civil war country . Turkey is on the side of the Islamist rebels in the conflict. It had reached an agreement with Russia as the Syrian government's protecting power to set up a de-escalation zone in Idlib. Turkey had also set up observation posts there. A ceasefire actually applies. But the Syrian military has advanced into the area with Russian support in recent weeks.

Turkish head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly threatened a military operation if the Syrian military does not withdraw. A corresponding ultimatum to the Syrian government is due to expire at the end of February . The situation in Syria was also discussed in a conversation between Erdogan and Merkel in mid-February. There, the Turkish president put pressure on the federal government.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians flee across the Turkish border - dramatic humanitarian situation

Negotiations with Russia are ongoing . Another summit involving Germany, France, Russia and Turkey is also up for debate. March 5 is currently the target date. Among other things, Turkey wants to prevent the continued attacks by Syria and its supporters from driving out more people. Hundreds of thousands are on the run , many towards the Turkish border . The humanitarian situation is therefore dramatic. German politicians are also worried about the situation in Syria. For example, CSU politician Horst Seehofer warned of a “second 2015” in a conversation with a member of parliament just two weeks ago.

Idlib is dominated by the Al Qaeda-related militia Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Syria and its ally Russia argue that they are fighting terrorists in the region. However, more moderate rebels are also fighting there.

dpa, cia

Rubric list image: © Presidential Press Service / AP / dpa

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2020-02-29

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