Turkey will no longer stop Syrian migrant flow to Europe, says official

Duvar English / Reuters

Turkey has decided to no longer stop Syrian refugees from reaching Europe by land and sea, a senior Turkish official told Reuters on Feb. 27, in anticipation of the imminent arrival of refugees from Syria's Idlib where nearly a million have been displaced.

Turkish police, coast guard and border security officials have been ordered to stand down, the Turkish official added.

Earlier on Feb. 27, the governor of Turkey's southern Hatay province said an attack on Turkish military in Idlib killed 33 soldiers, wounded dozens. The latest casualties bring the number of Turkish soldiers killed in Idlib this month to 54.

Number of Turkish soldiers killed due to airstrike in Idlib rose to 33

Meanwhile, Nacho Sanchez Amor, the European Parliament's rapporteur for Turkey, said early on Feb. 28 that he is "deeply concerned" about the attacks on Turkish military in Idlib, and the recent developments show the European Union "is far reliable than the new powerful Turkey's friends," referring to Turkey having forged increasingly close relations with Russia in recent years.

"You'd better abandon unilateralism, is not paying," Amor wrote on Twitter.

Very sorry for the loss of TK soldiers lives and deeply concerned about recent developments around #Turkey #Idlib and #Refugees I do regret to repeat my recent statements: EU is far reliable than the new powerful Turkey’s friends. You’d better abandon unilateralism, is not paying

— Nacho Sánchez Amor (@NachoSAmor) February 27, 2020

Turkey hosts some 3.7 million Syrian refugees. Under a deal agreed in 2016, the European Union has provided billions of euros in aid in return for Ankara agreeing to stem the influx of migrants into Europe.