Weber: We Cannot Accept Blackmail

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Speaking to Germany-based daily Welt am Sonntag, European People's Party (EPP) Group Chair in European Parliament Manfred Weber indicated that the agreement between Turkey and the European Union (EU) on refugees should be continued.

As reported by Deutsche Welle Türkçe, Weber stated that the assistance given to refugees in Turkey should be extended in such a way to include the years after 2019. Weber, who is also a member of Germany's Christian Social Union (CSU) that wanted to increase the amount currently paid to Turkey, underlined that the money was well evaluated.

'Turkey needs to know that'

The politician also made a call to President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan not to press the EU due to the increasing number of refugees.

"We cannot accept blackmail", Weber told Erdoğan and emphasized that Turkey's use of the agreement as a leverage would jeopardize the economic relations between Turkey and the EU.

"Turkey needs to know that", Weber indicated further.

Erdoğan: We would have to open the doors

Making a statement on September 5, President Erdoğan said that if the planned safe zone in northern Syria could not be established by the end of the month, "Turkey would have to open the doors".

"Will only we bear this burden? We could not get the necessary support from the world in sharing the burden of refugees that we are hosting, especially from the EU. We would have to do it to receive it", Erdoğan stated further. (PT/SD)