- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Over 76,000 Migrants Cross Turkey-EU Border - Turkish Interior Minister

© REUTERS / STRINGERMigrants board a dinghy bound for the Greek island of Lesbos, off the coast of the Turkish coastal town of Ayvacik in Canakkale province, Turkey, 28 February 2020.
Migrants board a dinghy bound for the Greek island of Lesbos, off the coast of the Turkish coastal town of Ayvacik in Canakkale province, Turkey, 28 February  2020.  - Sputnik International
Subscribe
ANKARA (Sputnik) - More than 76,000 migrants have crossed the Turkey-EU border following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decision to open it, Turkey's Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Sunday.
"As of 09.55 [06:55 GMT] the number of migrants that have left our country via [the province of] Edirne is 76.358," Soylu wrote on Twitter.

Earlier on Saturday, hundreds of migrants gathered near the Kastanies crossing point at the border between Turkey and Greece, and some of them were seen engaged in scuffles with police. A Sputnik correspondent reported that the Turkish police deployed tear gas against migrants trying to cross the border. Young men were seen covering their faces to protect themselves from a thick cloud of gas.

President Erdogan announced on Saturday that his country had opened its border with the European Union to Syrian refugees.

Under a 2016 deal between Turkey and the European Union, Ankara promised to limit migration to Europe in return for EU financial assistance.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала