Erdogan plays Syrian refugee card against Europe
Turkey has relaxed its harsh policies on Syrian refugees while it reaches out to Europe for more assistance, but the move does not mean Ankara has given up on expelling as many as it can.
I received a text message from a senior Justice and Development (AKP) member as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed his party’s delegates on Sept. 5. It read, “Are you watching? Wait to see how Erdogan will threaten [US President Donald] Trump through the EU. Let me know what you think.”
Erdogan explained if the United States does not agree to work with Turkey on a Syrian safe zone, Turkey will go ahead with it on its own. He announced the deadline as the last week of September, explaining what a burden 3.6 million Syrian refugees have become for the country and that Turkey cannot be forced to carry it alone. He stated that the goal is to relocate at least one million Syrians into the safe zone, saying, “We spent $40 billion so far” and that the EU’s aid was only around three billion euros ($3.3 billion). Erdogan said he provided detailed construction plans for homes with gardens in the safe zone for relocated Syrians. He suggested that Western powers had embraced the idea and it was time to act.
