Erdoğan, EU in a love and hate relationship: Assad

Duvar English

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has branded the relationship between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the European Union as a "love and hate" one, as he commented on the refugee issue.

Speaking to Russia Today, Assad said that "it’s hypocrisy for European nations to fear that Ankara will send refugees to Europe, but continue to sponsor terrorism in Syria," adding that although the EU “hates” Erdoğan, European nations "cannot but listen to what he has to say."

"Actually, the relation between Erdoğan and the EU is two ways: they hate him but they want him," he said.

The Syrian leader argued that the primary concern for Europe should not be the Syrian refugees but the “hundreds of thousands” of jihadists "Europe allied itself with."

"How can you fear those few millions, the majority of them are moderates and they have few terrorists, while you support those terrorists directly in tens of thousands at least and maybe hundreds of thousands in Syria and you don’t fear that they’re going to go back to your country?" Assad said.

Saying that there might be some extremists among those who fled the war-torn country, Assad noted that the majority of the refugees do not pose any acute threat, as opposed to hardened jihadists "who may turn on their patrons."

"Let’s say that sending those Syrians and other refugees is dangerous, the most dangerous [for] Europe is to support the terrorists in Syria, this is the most dangerous part," he said.