Foreign Ministry response to Austrian PM: Turkey will not take on new migration
Foreign Ministry of Turkey has made an announcement saying “Turkey will not suffer the consequences of a mass migration crisis arising from the region and will not undertake a new wave of migration. We convey this position to our interlocutors on every occasion and at all levels, stressing that Turkey will not be the European Union’s border guard or asylum camp.”
Most recently, Austrian PM had said “We don’t want Taliban fanaticism in Europe. The best place for Afghans to stay is Turkey. They should stay secure at their neighbors. For them, Turkey is better than Germany, Austria or Sweden.”
Turkey’s State Department has responded as follows:
“Instead of seeking a solution in Turkey, it would be more useful for European countries that are concerned about the mass migration crisis to discuss directly with Afghanistan and neighboring countries, and concentrate on issues such as fighting irregular migration and human trafficking and integration of regular migrants into the society.
Like other EU countries, Austria is a party to the 1951 UN Convention on the status of refugees. Austria must also provide international protection to Afghan asylum seekers in accordance with its international obligations and EU rules. In no case will Turkey inherit the international obligations of third countries.”
