Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country’s borders with Europe were open Saturday, making good on a longstanding threat to let refugees into the continent as thousands of migrants gathered at the frontier with Greece.

Erdogan’s announcement that Turkey is allowing refugees and migrants to exit the country marked a dramatic departure from current policy and an apparent attempt to pressure Europe.

29 February 2020; AFP: Turkey vowed the Syrian regime will "pay a price" for dozens of dead Turkish soldiers and raised pressure on the EU over the conflict by threatening to let thousands of migrants enter the bloc.

Turkey and Russia, which back opposing forces in the Syria conflict, held high-level talks to try to defuse tensions that have sparked fears of a broader war and a new migration crisis for Europe.

Greek police clashed on Saturday with thousands of migrants who were already gathering on the border to try to enter Europe.

29 Feb 2020; MEMO: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday hit out against “massacres” committed against Muslims in India after riots in New Delhi left at least 33 dead.

“India right now has become a country where massacres are widespread. What massacres? Massacres of Muslims. By who? Hindus,” Erdogan said during a speech in Ankara after violence broke over a citizenship law.

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that he had asked President Vladimir Putin for Russia to step aside in Syria and leave Turkey to deal with Syrian government forces alone, after 34 Turkish soldiers were killed this week.

Government forces, backed by Russian air power, have waged a major assault to capture the northwest province of Idlib, the last remaining territory held by rebels backed by Turkey.

Istanbul, Feb 29 (AFP/PTI) The leaders of Russia and Turkey held crisis talks Friday after 33 Turkish soldiers died in an air strike in Syria, as Ankara ramped up pressure on Europe by threatening to flood in migrants.

The United States and United Nations urged an end to the Russian-backed Syrian offensive against rebel holdouts, but Turkey appeared intent on easing tensions with Moscow by pinning the blame squarely on President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

REYHANLI, Turkey (AP) — The presidents of Turkey and Russia spoke by phone Friday to try to defuse tensions that rose significantly in Syria after at least 33 Turkish troops were killed in an airstrike blamed on the Syrian government, and a new wave of refugees and migrants headed for the Greek land and sea border after Turkey said it would no longer hold them back.

ANKARA, February 28. /TASS/: Turkish special police forces are ensuring the security of Russia’s overseas facilities in Turkey, Russian Embassy Spokesperson Irina Kasimova told TASS on Friday.

"Security measures have been tightened at the embassy and other Russian overseas facilities in Turkey. Special police forces have been deployed in order to ensure security. Turkey is taking comprehensive measures in this regard," she pointed out.

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Hundreds of migrants in Turkey started arriving on the borders with Greece and Bulgaria on Friday after a senior Turkish official said Ankara would no longer abide by a 2016 EU deal and stop refugees from reaching Europe.

Greece and Bulgaria, both European Union member states, said they were beefing up frontier controls to prevent the migrants crossing illegally. Bulgaria said it was sending 1,000 extra troops to its border with Turkey.

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will speak with leaders of the United States, France, Germany and Britain, following an air strike that killed 33 Turkish soldiers in Syria’s Idlib region, a Turkish official was quoted as saying on Friday.

Turkey’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun was also quoted by broadcaster NTV as saying Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed during a phone call to meet face to face as soon as possible.

ANKARA, Feb 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 33 Turkish soldiers have been killed in an air raid by Syrian government forces in the northwestern Idlib province, the governor in the southeastern province of Hatay said early on Friday, raising an earlier death toll, while also threatening an escalation of conflict and another refugee crisis.