Turkey Has Opened The Idlib Border And Is Now Allowing Syrian Refugees Free Passage To Europe

Internally displaced Syrian holds opposition flag in support of Turkish army and Turkey-backed Syrian rebels at Bab el-Salam border crossing in Syria (Reuters)

Middle East Eye: Turkey opens Idlib border and allows Syrian refugees free passage to Europe

Route out of northwestern Syria opened for 72 hours, officials tell MEE, after 29 Turkish troops killed in attack by pro-Assad forces.

Turkey decided to immediately open its southwestern border with Syria and allow Syrians fleeing the pro-government forces' assault free passage to Europe for the next 72 hours, Turkish official sources told Middle East Eye.

A senior Turkish official said Syrian refugees headed towards Europe won't be stopped either on land or by sea.

The official said Ankara had ordered police, gendarmerie, border guards and sea guards to stand down on Thursday if they detected any Syrian refugees trying to cross into Europe.

The decision came after a security meeting chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late on Thursday.

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Update #1: As more Turkish troops killed, Ankara says it will not stop Syrian refugees reaching Europe (Reuters)
Update #2: Turkey to allow Syrian refugees passage to Europe (The Hill)

WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction. Expect another refugee-migration crisis on the borders of Europe. But I think the reaction from Europe is going to be different. With the coronavirus outbreak currently spreading throughout Europe, I can easily see governments moving in the coming weeks to implement quarantines and isolating infected patients to contain the disease. They are not going to permit hundreds of thousands of refugees to pour into the continent and break this containment.

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