Erdoğan says Turkey will open up its border gates to refugees if the EU goes further

Turkey will open up its border gates for refugees to head to Europe “if the EU goes further,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, speaking after the European Parliament’s Nov. 24 vote to temporarily freeze accession talks with Ankara. “You never treated humanity honestly and you did not look after people fairly. You did not pick up babies when they washed ashore on the Mediterranean. We are the ones who are feeding around 3.5 million refugees in this country” Erdoğan said.

“You did not keep your promise. When 50,000 refugees turned up at the Kapıkule border gate you cried out and began to say ‘What will we do when Turkey opens the border gates. Look, if you go further, those border gates will be opened. You should know that” he added.

European Union lawmakers called on Nov. 24 for a temporary halt to EU membership talks with Turkey over Ankara’s “disproportionate” reaction to the failed July 15 coup attempt, with some 479 votes in favor and 37 votes against, with 107 abstentions.

SOURCE: MEDIA