Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that his country could not bear "an additional migratory burden" from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover, during a telephone interview with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“A new wave of migration is inevitable if the necessary measures are not taken in Afghanistan and Iran. Turkey, which already hosts 5 million refugees, cannot bear an additional migratory burden
,
”he
told Angela Merkel, according to a press release from the Turkish presidency.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan also criticized the European Union for being “evasive” about Turkey's request to revise an agreement signed in 2016 between Ankara and Brussels to stop the influx of migrants. Signed after the “migration crisis” of 2015, this agreement provides for the return of “irregular migrants” from the Greek islands to Turkey and financial assistance to Turkey for the reception of refugees.
But Ankara regularly criticizes the EU for not fully respecting this agreement, in particular regarding the acceleration of Turkey's accession process to the EU and the free movement of Turkish citizens.
"The evasive approach of the EU to respond to Turkey's justified expectation of updating the March 18 agreement has a negative impact on potential cooperation in the field of migration,"
said the head of the Turkish state.
Read also Afghanistan: why the Taliban won
Close cooperation on NGOs
Erdogan also considered that it would be "unrealistic" for the EU to have additional expectations from Turkey regarding the reception of migrants as long as the Turkey-EU agreement is not fully implemented. Chancellor Angela Merkel for her part declared that the evacuation of people in need of protection from Afghanistan remained "the top priority". The two leaders agreed to
"close cooperation to support the work of international organizations, in particular UN refugee aid agencies, in Afghanistan and in neighboring countries
,
"
added a spokesperson
for the United Nations
. Angela Merkel in Berlin.
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