ISTANBUL (Agencies): President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Greece to open its borders and allow migrants’ movement to other European countries, as he criticized countries around the world for turning a blind eye to the suffering of Syrian civilians, especially women and children who make up the majority of the victims of the brutal civil war.
Speaking at a conference to mark International Women’s Day in Istanbul, Erdogan called Greece’s treatment of asylum seekers “inhumane.”
He noted that a great majority of the 1 million people who lost their lives in the Syrian crisis are women and children, but nobody has drawn attention to this fact.
He told Greece to open its doors to allow migrants to reach Europe, saying that there was nothing that Greek authorities should be concerned about as migrants plan to go to other parts of Europe.
“No one raises voice against Greece’s inhumane treatment of asylum seekers,” Erdogan said, noting that Greek authorities try to sink their boats and open fire on them to prevent their entry. The president reiterated once again that Turkey has never aimed to invade or annex Syrian territory.
“Our only goal is to facilitate the safe return of 3.6 million people already residing in our country and 1.5 million others from Idlib who approached our borders,” Erdogan said.
He continued by saying that Turkey reserves the right to clear the area if Russia and other countries fail to fulfill their pledges regarding the region.
Turkey launched Operation Spring Shield last week after at least 36 Turkish soldiers were killed and dozens injured in an Assad regime airstrike in Idlib, a de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria, just across Turkey’s southern border. Turkey’s only targets during the operation were Assad regime troops and equipment in Idlib under the nation’s right to self-defense, according to Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.
Turkish soldiers were killed while working to protect local civilians under a September 2018 deal with Russia, which prohibits acts of aggression in Idlib.
But more than 1,300 civilians have since been killed in attacks by the Assad regime and Russian forces in the zone, as the cease-fire continues to be violated, sending about a million refugees toward Turkey’s border with Syria.
Ankara recently announced that it would no longer try to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe.
