“There is no other country in the world like Turkey that is eomakin of so many refugeesThis was announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after a government meeting on Thursday night, quoted by Milliyet.
“Our country is primarily responsible for the safety and well-being of its 84 million citizens,” Erdogan continued, adding:
“However, we are not a society that, thinking only of itself, is ready to turn its back on those people who knock on its door. We are a society that has not stopped sharing the opportunities it has with its brothers. at the moment our country has provided asylum to about 5 million people, which 3.6 million Syrian refugees. But in addition to these people, there are others we call “illegal migrants.”
Erdogan and the Taliban – high-risk gambling in the graveyard of empires
And an opportunity for Erdogan, who is looking to revive the Ottoman era
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We are working to increase security on our borders – we are completing the construction of firewalls on our border with Iran. We will have electronic systems against migrants, smuggling and terrorist operations. The reinforcement will be thanks to the Turkish Armed Forces, the gendarmerie and the border guards. So far, thanks to the measures we have taken, we have reduced the number of illegal migrants from 455,000 in 2019 to 122,000 in 2020.
In the first seven months of 2021, we caught on 77,000 illegally crossing our borders. In the last three years, nearly half of those who enter our territory illegally are from Afghanistan. About 300,000 Afghans currently reside in Turkey, of which 180,000 are registered and 120,000 are illegal. “So the tales that in our country there were 1.5 million Afghans lying“- Erdogan was categorical.
He added that if necessary, he would meet with the future Taliban government, with the aim of ensuring the smooth return of some 300 Turkish citizens to their homeland.
At the same time, Erdogan stressed that “Turkey does not intend to become a European landfill for refugees from Afghanistan.” He said Europe must take responsibility for people fleeing Afghanistan.
“Europe, which has become a center of attraction for millions of people, cannot stay away from the problem, close its borders just to protect the safety and well-being of its citizens.
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Radev talks to Erdogan about his concerns about migrant pressure
He expressed his condolences to the victims of the fires in Turkey
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In this respect, Europe is not only violating international law, but has also turned its back on all humanitarian values. But Turkey has no obligation and has not committed to being a refugee warehouse in Europe. As for the Syrians in Turkey, the issue is different. Of course, these people will stay in our country once they learn the language, improve their professional skills and show that they can integrate among our fellow citizens, “Erdogan explained.
He added that around 450,000 Syrians have returned voluntarily in their native places.
The number sent back to Afghanistan has reached 235,000 people.
Analysts say Erdogan has signaled that Turkey will not become a European refugee depot. it is unlikely to conclude an agreement with the European Union to stop the wave of migrants from Afghanistan, which was the case for Syrian refugees and thanks to which the 2015 refugee pressure was stopped.
Six years ago, in addition to Syria, Turkey’s land border with Greece was flooded with refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Earlier today, a spokesman for the Greek government Janis to the Economist recalled that the refugee disaster in 2015 also affected the Greek Aegean islands. He stressed that all necessary measures are being taken to prevent a repeat of the events of 2015.
For this reason, the Greek border guards are constantly on alert.
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