Turkey threatens to open its borders and let thousands of migrants into Europe if EU delays membership talks
European lawmakers have called for a freeze in talks after the Turkish president locked up thousands of his own people following a failed coup in July
TURKEY’s hardline President yesterday threatened to unleash a new flood of immigrants on Europe unless Brussels speeds up talks about the country’s EU membership.
Furious Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out after a symbolic vote in the European Parliament to freeze accession negotiations.
Speaking in Ankara, the President referred to the EU’s clamour for help when 50,000 migrants massed at the Bulgarian border a year ago.
And he stormed: “If you go any further, these border gates will be opened.
“Neither I nor my people will be affected by these empty threats.”
He added: “Don’t forget, the West needs Turkey.”
The EU struck a controversial refugee deal with Turkey in March, promising £2.5 billion in aid and fast-track VISAs in return for Ankara’s help in stemming the tide of migrants crossing the Aegean Sea to Greece.
RELATED STORIES
The numbers attempting the crossing have dropped dramatically since the deal was struck, but migrants instead are now crossing the central Med to Italy.
Earlier this month, the EU border agency said 27,500 migrants reached Italy in October – the highest monthly number on record – while just 3,100 reached Greece, “just a fraction” of the figures last year.
MEPs in Strasbourg on Thursday voted 471 to 37 to freeze Turkish EU accession talks over the government’s “disproportionate repressive measures” after the failed military coup in July.
The vote is non-binding but represents a dramatic escalation of tension ahead of a meeting of EU ministers next month, where Foreign Ministers will debate Turkey’s membership bid.
Turkish PM Binali Yildrim dismissed the vote and said he expected “EU leaders to stand up against this lack of vision”.