Erdogan to travel to Brussels amid standoff with European Union

Edirne, March 7

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to be in Brussels on Monday for a one-day working visit, his office said amid a charged conflict between Turkey and the European Union over migrants and refugees.

Thousands of migrants headed for Turkey’s land border with Greece after Erdogan’s government said last week that it would no longer prevent migrants and refugees from crossing over to EU territory. Greece deployed riot police and border guards to repel people trying to enter the country from the sea or by land.

A statement from Erdogan’s office said he would travel to Brussels on March 9. The statement did not specify where he would be during his one-day visit or the nature of the work taking him to the Belgian capital, but the European Union’s headquarters are in Brussels.

The announcement came hours after European Union foreign ministers meeting in Croatia on Friday criticised Turkey, saying it was using the migrants’ desperation “for political purposes.” — AP

Greece plans new camps after migrant surge

Athens: Greece plans to build two new temporary camps to house hundreds of additional asylum seekers who arrived after a surge enabled by Turkey. “We need the backing of local communities. We cannot leave all (these) people on the islands,” migration minister Notis Mitarachi said. AFP