3 yıl önce

Erdogan: Turkey won't become Europe's 'refugee warehouse'

Faced with a potential new migration wave from Afghanistan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the EU to shoulder the responsibility for Afghans fleeing the Taliban and warned that his country won’t become Europe’s “refugee warehouse.”

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference after the Cabinet meeting at Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey on August 19, 2021.

Turkey’s president affirmed his country's commitment to Afghanistan's “stability and security” and said Ankara could hold talks with the Taliban.

"We will also meet with the government to be formed by the Taliban if necessary, and discuss our mutual agendas," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, following a five-hour Cabinet meeting at the presidential complex in the capital of Ankara.

The Taliban seized control of Kabul on Sunday, forcing President Ashraf Ghani and other top government officials to leave the country.

'Refugee warehouse'

Erdogan called on European nations to shoulder the responsibility for Afghans fleeing the Taliban and warned that his country won’t become Europe’s “refugee warehouse."

“We need to remind our European friends of this fact: Europe — which has become the center of attraction for millions of people — cannot stay out of (the refugee) problem by harshly sealing its borders to protect the safety and well-being of its citizens,” Erdogan said.

“Turkey has no duty, responsibility or obligation to be Europe’s refugee warehouse,” Erdogan said.