The number of migrants leaving Turkey via its northwestern border province of Edirne reached 36,776, the country’s interior minister said on Saturday. In a statement on Twitter, Süleyman Soylu said that the number was registered as of 9.02 p.m. local time (1802 GMT). Turkish officials announced Friday that they would no longer try to stop irregular migrants from reaching Europe.
More than 36,000 migrants have crossed Turkey’s border gates into Europe as of Saturday evening, Turkish Interior Ministry Süleyman Soylu says.
“The total number of migrants who have left our country via Edirne has reached 36,776 as of 2102 [1802 GMT],” Soylu tweeted, referring to the Turkish city along the Greek and Bulgarian borders.
Soylu did not share further details.
Turkish border crossings are and will remain open for migrants heading to Europe, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said earlier Saturday.
The decision was made as 34 Turkish soldiers were martyred at the hands of regime forces in Idlib, Syria. The Turkish soldiers are working to protect local civilians under a 2018 deal with Russia under which acts of aggression are prohibited in the region.
Since then, thousands of irregular migrants have flocked to Edirne to make their way into Europe.
Turkey already hosts some 3.7 million migrants from Syria alone, more than any other country in the world.
It has repeatedly complained that Europe has failed to keep its promises to help migrants and stem further migrant waves.
anews.com / balkantimes.press
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