Turkey has decided to stop Syrian refugees from crossing its territory to Europe by land and sea, a Turkish official told Reuters on Thursday, anticipating the imminent arrival of refugees from Idlib in Syria, where there are almost one million displaced people.
Turkish police, the coast guard and border security officials were ordered not to control the refugees, the Turkish official added.
Turkey is home to about 3.7 million Syrian refugees. Under a 2016 agreement, the European Union provided millions of euros of aid in exchange for Ankara agreeing to contain the flow of migrants to Europe.
This Thursday, an aviation attack against Turkish military personnel in Idlib killed 29 soldiers which sparked Erdogan’s fury. There are other military sources that point to even higher numbers. The Turkish president has already assembled an emergency council and threatens to launch a military offensive against all targets of the Syrian regime, which has been supported by Russian military personnel. The Russian position will always be important in this conflict
Turkey is retaliating against the Syrian regime, a Turkish official confirmed to AFP, while asking the international community to fulfill its responsibilities.
“Known targets of the regime will continue to be the target of air and land attacks”, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s communications director, Fahrettin Altun, said in a statement. “We urge the international community to fulfill its responsibilities,” he added.
“It was decided to respond to the illegitimate regime [da Síria] just as our soldiers have been targeting. With our elements of air and ground support, all known targets of the regime will be reached. We call on the Astana Process [Conversações de paz para a Síra] to fulfill its responsibility, especially the parties involved and the international community, “said the same spokesman.
Idlib has been a territory for a violent Syrian conflict, with Assad’s forces advancing into the region that is one of the last rebel strongholds, but opposed by jihadist groups supported by Turkey.
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