EU pleads with Turkey to accept refugees fleeing Aleppo offensive

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.

• Primary Source

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Euro|Topics: Debates, 08.02.16: Tens of thousands trapped on Syrian border http://www.eurotopics.net/en/153409/tens-of-thousands-trapped-on-syrian-border

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Today's Zaman, 22.02.16: UN hopes Turkey will open border gate to those fleeing Aleppo http://www.todayszaman.com/latest-news_un-hopes-turkey-will-open-border-gate-to-those-fleeing-aleppo_413034.html

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