CAIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th March, 2020) Turkey is using the problem of refugees to blackmail Europe amid the escalation of tensions in the Syrian province of Idlib, Syrian President Bashar Assad told the Rossiya 24 broadcaster.
The situation with migrants at the Greek-Turkish border escalated in late February after Ankara announced it had opened its border with the European Union to migrants and refugees following the escalation of tensions in Idlib. Soon after that, thousands of migrants rushed to Turkey's border with Greece and Bulgaria in an attempt to get into Europe.
"Turkey started to send the second wave of refugees to Europe using them as a tool of blackmailing. [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan voiced threats that he would send refugees [to Europe]," the Syrian president said on Thursday.
According to Turkey, one of the reasons for opening its borders to the European Union was the lack of assistance from the bloc in dealing with the flow of migrants. Under the 2016 agreement, Ankara promised to restrain the flow of migrants into the bloc, while Brussels pledged to provide funds to help Turkey care for the refugees.
