Thousands of migrants have massed at the Greek frontier with Turkey since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced last week that they would no longer be prevented from trying to enter Europe.
Turkey’s president on Wednesday warned a fresh migrant crisis could be resolved only if Europe supports its efforts in Syria, as violent clashes broke out between refugees and police on the Greek border.
Erdogan’s move came after 34 Turkish troops were killed in northern Syria by Russian-backed Syrian forces, prompting him to seek greater assistance from the international community.
But EU leaders now fear a repeat of the migrant crisis of 2015-16, when more than one million migrants crossed into the EU, and have decried Turkish “blackmail”.
With mounting tensions around the border crossing at Pazarkule, a Turkish official claimed one migrant was killed and five injured by live fire from the Greek side.
Speaking in Ankara, Erdogan said Europe must support Turkey’s “political and humanitarian solutions in Syria” if it wants to resolve the situation.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and Council President Charles Michel met with Erdogan and other top officials in Ankara on Wednesday, promising an additional 170 million euros ($189 million) in aid for vulnerable groups in Syria.
Borrell said the EU recognised the “difficult situation Turkey is facing” but that Turkey’s decision to open the way for migrants could “only make the situation worse”.
