Turkey's President Erdogan threatens Europe with new wave of refugees

Turkey's President Erdogan threatens Europe with new wave of refugees
By Robert Hackwill
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Angered by the European parliament's vote to suspend EU membership talks, Turkey's President Erdogan threatens Europe with a new wave of refugees.

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Turkey’s President Erdogan has wasted no time in reacting fiercely to what he sees as another snub to Turkey by the European Union, whose parliament voted on Thursday to suspend EU membership talks.

He has threatened to rip up the migrant deal that could see Turkey again allowing tens of thousands of refugees flood into the EU.

#Erdogan warns #Turkey could open gates for migrants if pushed by #EU“ – https://t.co/DD9JvuphAX

— Vassilios Tzounakis (@tzounakis) 25 November 2016

“When 50,000 immigrants reached the border town of Kapikule, you wailed. What would we do if Turkey opened the border gates, you wondered. Look here, if this goes any further, those border gates will be opened, you should know that. Neither I nor this nation cares about empty threats,” he thundered.

EU deal was wrong to call Turkey “safe” for refugees https://t.co/IKSUU3Ix6K#EU#Turkey#EUTurkey#refugees#humanrightshrw</a> <a href="https://t.co/px9Av9F1Aa">pic.twitter.com/px9Av9F1Aa</a></p>&mdash; Matthijs Pontier (Matthijs85) November 15, 2016

The European parliament’s vote is non-binding, but was intended to send Ankara a signal; stop the post-coup mass arrests of suspects, opposition politicians and journalists, a reaction parliament considered “disproportionate”.

Turkey has by far the largest refugee population of people fleeing conflict or repression in Syria and has many from other conflict zones, but although safe, because there is little work and no prospects, most want to leave.

What to expect from a #Trump- #Erdoğan relationship https://t.co/DgKndWaKvU via BrookingsInst</a></p>&mdash; Vakis Kalogeropoulos (Vaqis) November 15, 2016

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