Erdogan's threat: We will send 3.6 million refugees to Europe
Turkish President Erdogan has responded angrily to criticism of Turkey's invasion of Syria, saying he will send 3.6 million refugees to Europe if Europe does not withdraw its accusations.
The Turkish military offensive in northern Syria has been met with strong criticism. Not only the United States, but also the European Union has strongly condemned the operation. The EU Commission has called on Turkey to fulfill its obligations as a candidate for EU membership.
A European Commission spokesman in Brussels said: "Accession to the European Union requires that all candidates adhere to the EU's foreign policy." He continued that in this regard, if Turkey is serious about its application to join the union, this is the path it should take.
In response to these remarks, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the European Union, saying: "Hey, Europe! Wake up! I say it again: If you try to present our operation as an invasion, our duty will be clear: we will open the doors and send three million and six hundred thousand refugees to you." He continued that Europe is not honest and has not told the truth so far.
Erdogan is referring to the three million and six hundred thousand Syrian refugees living in Türkiye.
Thousands fleeing war
In northern Syria, people are fleeing a Turkish military offensive. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 60,000 people are fleeing the area. Most of these people are residents of the Syrian border towns of Ras al-Ayn, Tal Abyad and Darbazia. According to Syrian activists, the refugees from the war are moving east, and their destination is likely the areas around the city of Hasakah.
AFP reporters reported seeing people leaving Ras al-Ain in cars, on foot or on motorbikes, fleeing the war zones.
A total of 450,000 people live in areas along the Syrian-Turkish border where fighting is currently ongoing, according to 14 aid agencies. This number is at risk “if the parties to the conflict do not exercise maximum restraint and make the protection of civilians a priority,” the report said.
These aid organizations have said that if they are forced to evacuate their staff from these areas due to the escalation of the conflict, those whose lives are in danger will not be able to receive essential assistance.
Global opposition to Türkiye's military operation
The United States and the European Union are not the only ones who have opposed Turkey's military offensive in northern Syria. Israel has also condemned the military operation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday, October 8: "Israel strongly condemns Turkey's military operation in the Kurdish areas of Syria and warns of ethnic cleansing in these areas."
Netanyahu continued: "Israel is ready to provide humanitarian assistance to the brave Kurdish people."
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has also opposed military action in Syria in a statement. The statement reads: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, understanding Turkey's security concerns, as it has previously stated, not only does it not consider military action as a factor in resolving Turkey's security concerns, but also considers it to lead to widespread material and human losses, and accordingly, it declares its opposition to this action."
The Iranian Foreign Ministry also expressed concern about the consequences of this attack, especially for civilians, and called for an immediate halt to these attacks and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syrian territory.
Concerns of UN aid agencies
UN aid agencies have expressed concern over Turkey's military offensive in northern Syria. Mark Lowcock, the UN's emergency relief coordinator, called for the protection of civilians in the areas under attack in a statement issued in Geneva on Thursday. He traveled to Turkey on the same day to meet with government representatives.
The UN Children's Fund said many boys and girls in northeast Syria are at "serious risk of injury, death or forced displacement."
The head of UNICEF in New York has stated that another military conflict would have "devastating consequences."
Turkish army advancing towards Kurdish militias
The Turkish army began its military offensive against the Kurdish militia "People's Protection Units" (YPG) on Wednesday, October 8. The aim of this operation is to create a "safe zone" inside Syria, where up to two million Syrian refugees are to be resettled.
The Ankara government considers the YPG an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist organization in Turkey. Ankara fears that the strengthening of Kurdish forces on Turkey's southern borders could lead to the creation of an autonomous Kurdish region and the eventual secession of Türkiye's Kurdish regions from the country.
Turkey's military offensive in northern Syria was immediately met with international protests. The European Union countries stated in a joint statement on Wednesday that "the renewed armed conflict in northeastern Syria is once again endangering the stability of the entire region, increasing the suffering of civilians and causing further flight from these areas."
The statement accused Turkey of jeopardizing the success of the global coalition against ISIS, citing, for example, the risk that this new battle could lead to the release of imprisoned ISIS terrorists.
Three billion euros from the European Union to Türkiye
Erdogan threatened in September to stop keeping Syrian refugees in Turkey, amid a dispute over EU funding agreed to in a 2016 refugee deal.
Under the deal, refugees who have entered Greece illegally can be sent back to Turkey. In return, the European Union has guaranteed to pay Turkey two payments of three billion euros over three years to support these refugees.
In return, Ankara has pledged to do more to prevent refugees from crossing the Aegean islands. Since the start of the Syrian civil war, Turkey has taken in an estimated 3.6 million Syrian refugees, according to official figures, more than any other country.
