EU pleads with Turkey to accept refugees fleeing Aleppo offensive

Series Title
Series Details 08.02.16
Publication Date 08/02/2016
Content Type

Following a renewed offensive by the forces of Bashar al-Assad, with air support from Russia, against rebels in the area of the Syrian city of Aleppo in February 2016, large numbers of Syrians fled to the border with Turkey seeking to escape the war-torn country.

Turkey agreed to help the fleeing refugees, but over the weekend of 6-7 February 2016 had not opened its borders.

Turkey came under pressure from the EU and others in the international community to open its borders.

EU High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini said on the 6 February 2016 'It is unquestionable that people coming from inside Syria are Syrians in need of international protection. And on top of that, that the support that the European Union is providing to Turkey, among others, is aimed exactly at guaranteeing that Turkey has the means, the instruments, the resources to protect and to host people that are seeking asylum'.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş said that Turkey was already hosting 3 million refugees, including 2.5 million Syrians. It was also under increased pressure from the EU to restrict refugees from leaving Turkey to seek asylum in EU Member States.

Chancellor Merkel of Germany met Turkish leaders in Ankara on the 8 February 2016. The two countries agreed to cooperate closely and take a set of measures to deal with the Syrian refugee crisis including a joint diplomatic initiative that sought more NATO involvement, as well as aiming to halt attacks particularly by Russia in Aleppo.

Source Link Link to Main Source http://www.euractiv.com/sections/global-europe/eu-pleads-turkey-open-its-borders-syrian-refugees-fleeing-aleppo-321651
Related Links
EU: EEAS: Statement, 06.02.16: Remarks by the High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini at the joint press conference with Bert Koenders, Foreign Affairs Minister of the Netherlands, following the Informal meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs (Gymnich) http://www.eeas.europa.eu/statements-eeas/2016/160206_03_en.htm
BBC News, 08.02.16: Syria refugee camps set up as Turkey limits entries http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-35519393
Deutsche Welle, 04.02.16: US and France accuse Moscow, Damascus of derailing Syria truce talks http://dw.com/p/1HpWD
ESO: Background information: Syria talks hang in the balance http://www.europeansources.info/record/syria-talks-hang-in-the-balance/
ESO: Information Guide: European Migration Challenges http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-european-migration-challenges/
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Today's Zaman, 12.02.16: Turkey says Syria ceasefire won’t hold if Russia does not stop airstrikes http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_turkey-says-syria-ceasefire-wont-hold-if-russia-does-not-stop-airstrikes_412146.html
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