Turkey's president Erdogan: Is he using migrants as weapon? Photo: Kremlin.ru
Turkey: Corona infections as a weapon not a distraction
Turkey is sticking to blackmailing and threatening Europe with a deluge of migrants.
Published: April 22, 2020, 5:18 pm
While the world is struggling with a veritable war against Coronavirus contagion these days, tensions which existed long before the Covid-19 pandemic have sadly not disappeared from the global stage.
In particular, relations between Turkey and Europe are becoming strained once again. The fresh salvo was fired by Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu who announced at the end of March that the Turkish state would allow migrants to head for the European Union’s border again as soon as the Coronavirus crisis is over.
In an interview with the Turkish NTV television channel, Soylu told his audience that around 6 000 migrants who were waiting at the Turkish-Greek border to cross into the European Union, were sent to cities inside the country. This measure was undertaken by Turkish authorities in order to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
But both the measure and the commentary by the Turkish Interior Minister gave a clear impression that the withdrawal of illegal migrants from the Greek border were basically just more steps in Turkey’s various attempts at threatening the European Union.
“It was a precautionary move. We had to do it. However, no one should feel comfortable with it yet. When the Coronavirus pandemic is over, we are not going to deter any migrants who want to return to the Greek-Turkish border in Pazarkule,” Süleyman Soylu underscored in his interview.
Such statements can be interpreted as an intention by Turkish government to continue its policy of open borders for migrants and asylum seekers right after the pace of Coronavirus contagion is slowed down. It is worth recollecting what events had lead to such a decision by Turkish authorities.
On March 7, the European Union Commissioner for Budget and Administration Johannes Hahn suggested that possible further financial support for Turkey from the EU to help asylum seekers on Turkish territory would be much less extensive than before. Hahn warned that financial support from the EU would be possible only if an important condition was implemented.
“Many schools, kindergartens and hospitals for refugees have already been built and do not need new funding. Therefore, Turkey’s need for financial assistance is already lower,” the European Commissioner noted.
He also emphasized that Ankara’s blackmail policy, evidenced by their continuous threats of dispatching migrants to EU borders, should be stopped.
Johannes Hahn. Wikipedia
“Only then will the EU be ready in principle to continue provision of financial assistance to support refugees in Turkey,” Hahn underlined.
Reportedly, Turkish leader Recep Erdogan announced a change in policy towards migrants after a sharp aggravation of the situation in the Syrian region of Idlib. The Turkish leader said that his country would open its borders with the European Union for migrants, since the EU has not fulfilled its financial obligations and has not shown keen enough interest in resolving the Syrian conflict. Ankara has been supporting Syrian rebels in the northwestern region of Idlib, where the deployment of Turkish troops began earlier this year.
It is believed that in order to succeed in their latest arm-wrestling contest with the EU to restore the flow of financial aid, Turkey will look towards implementing radical measures. In particular, a Greek daily newspaper Kathimerini reported that Turkey has been preparing to send Covid-19 infected migrants to Greece.
According to the media, Greek authorities confirmed the concentration of migrants on the west coast of Asia Minor. The migrants massed there were allegedly transferred from refugee camps in Turkey.
The newspaper, citing sources, claimed that Turkey has been developing an organised plan for the transportation of migrants infected with Covid-19 to Greece and Europe in order to boost a pandemic in the EU.
The transfer could take place in an organised manner, coordinated directly by Turkish police and the gendarmerie.
Hundreds of migrants and boats have been massing in areas close to Greek islands Lesbos and Chios. However, most of them were quarantined for 14 days due to suspected Covid-19 infections at these locations.
The newspaper also suggested that the migrants will try to cross the border soon. The Greek General Staff of National Defense, the Navy Forces and the coast guard have already been put on alert in the event of a forced crossing.
All rights reserved. You have permission to quote freely from the articles provided that the source (www.freewestmedia.com) is given. Photos may not be used without our consent.
Consider donating to support our work
Help us to produce more articles like this. FreeWestMedia is depending on donations from our readers to keep going. With your help, we expose the mainstream fake news agenda.
Keep your language polite. Readers from many different countries visit and contribute to Free West Media and we must therefore obey the rules in, for example, Germany. Illegal content will be deleted.
If you have been approved to post comments without preview from FWM, you are responsible for violations of any law. This means that FWM may be forced to cooperate with authorities in a possible crime investigation.
If your comments are subject to preview by FWM, please be patient. We continually review comments but depending on the time of day it can take up to several hours before your comment is reviewed.
We reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive, contain slander or foul language, or are irrelevant to the discussion.
Europe
New App Helps Locate Sweden’s Historic Runestones
A new app called Swedish Runestones will help locate historical gems.
Swedish military wants to remilitarize the Åland Islands
The demilitarized autonomy has previously been known as 'the islands of peace.
NOAA Predicts Zero Sunspots for Almost the Whole 2030s
CLIMATEThe United States' government scientific organization, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), predicts zero sunspots from 2031 to 2040. This is an extreme situation that has not occurred in as long as humanity has been counting sunspots, and it leads us into uncharted territory in terms of our solar system. However, this prediction aligns with the warnings of the world-renowned solar researcher Valentina Zharkova for many years, who indicated in 2019 various signs of this catastrophic phenomenon, including the extreme hailstorms we have seen in Europe and the world this summer. The forecast and various observations this year give cause for very significant concern. In this unique analysis, Free West Media explains why.
European Nationalist Parties Forge Cooperation Ahead of EU Elections
EUROPEAN ELECTIONSOn Saturday, August 26, representatives of six European nationalist parties gathered in Budapest. The meeting was initiated by the Hungarian party Mi Hazánk and took place in the national parliament. Representatives of the parties signed a joint declaration that not only reaffirms the parties' friendship but also their unity on a range of complex political issues. A surprisingly clear and radical manifesto was established. The hope is that this cooperation will lead to success in the EU elections and eventually result in the formation of a group in the European Parliament. For Swedish nationalism, this meeting marks a success as Sweden, for the first time, has a party represented in a leading nationalist cooperation in Europe. Free West Media was present at this historic event.
Turkey Believes Sweden Hasn’t Done Enough
Sweden will have to wait a bit longer for NATO membership, according to Turkey's Justice Minister Jilmaz Tunc. First, Sweden must extradite the "terrorists" Turkey wants and stop the desecration of the Quran.
Swedish Weapon Takes Down Russia’s Best Attack Helicopter
The Russian attack helicopter Ka-52 is considered one of the world's best and has struck fear in Ukraine, where it has hunted down tanks and other armored vehicles, often beyond the range of many light anti-aircraft systems. However, it has met its match in the Swedish air defense missile system RBS 70, which has quickly led to significant losses for the Russian helicopter forces.
The Sun Drives Earth’s Climate, Not Carbon Dioxide
Top Researchers Push Back Against Climate Lies."The correlation is as clear as day," explained the Israeli astrophysicist Nir Shaviv, who was hailed by the establishment, before his interview with Forbes was hastily deleted. What he says contradicts the climate narrative, which points to humans as responsible for Earth's climate. Shaviv firmly asserts that it is the sun that controls the climate, something that can be scientifically proven in many ways. Contrary to the popular belief, the sun's influence on Earth has, in recent years, caused unusually cold and rainy weather, a trend that solar researchers warn will worsen significantly in the coming decades. The sun has exhibited an unusually low activity since 2016, during Solar Cycle 24, which was the weakest in a century.
Strong Confidence in German AfD
Alternative for Germany (AfD) held a party conference on July 29-30 to select candidates for the upcoming EU election next year. EU Parliament member Maximilian Krah, belonging to the party's more radical, ethnonationalist faction, was appointed as the top candidate. The party's two spokespersons delivered powerful speeches criticizing the EU's failed migration policy and trade sanctions that isolate Europe and Germany from the rest of the world. They argued that it's time for the EU to return a significant portion of its power to national parliaments. However, they have dropped the demand for Germany to exit the EU.
The Establishment Wants to Ban Germany’s Second Largest Party – for the Sake of Democracy
The rising popularity of AfD has raised strong concerns within the establishment. Despite lies and demonization in the media and isolation from the overall political establishment, the party continues to grow. Certain representatives of the party are accused of becoming increasingly "extreme," and in an unusual move, the influential weekly newspaper Der Spiegel demanded that AfD be "banned."
Dutch FvD break through the media blockade
What is happening in the Netherlands? It is often difficult to follow events in other countries, especially when distorted by system media. We give Forum for Democracy (FvD) the opportunity to speak out on the political situation in the Netherlands and the staunch resistance they face in trying to save the country.
No comments.
By submitting a comment you grant Free West Media a perpetual license to reproduce your words and name/web site in attribution. Inappropriate and irrelevant comments will be removed at an admin’s discretion. Your email is used for verification purposes only, it will never be shared.