Turkish, German leaders discuss Idlib, migrants

ANKARA

Turkish president and German chancellor held a phone call on Friday to discuss recent developments on northwestern Idlib province of Syria and asylum seekers who want to cross to Greece from Turkey to reach Europe.

With an agreement reached between Turkey and Russia on Thursday about Idlib, the protection of innocent civilians and safety of Turkish soldiers who risks their lives for the peace in the region, were ensured, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

During the discussion with Angela Merkel, Erdogan mentioned the humanitarian plight on Turkey's land border with Greece.

He slammed Greece’s decision to not take into account the EU’s foundation agreement and Geneva Agreement and considered it "a violation of international law and values of the EU's foundation agreement".

He also stressed the necessity to revise the arrangements between Turkey and the EU on migration.

Ankara and Moscow agreed to a cease-fire effective as of midnight Thursday amid recent clashes between the Turkish military and Syrian regime forces.

As part of the agreement, all military activities will end in Idlib and a security corridor will be established 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) deep to the north and to the south from the M4 highway.

Joint Turkish-Russian patrols will also begin on March 15 along the M4 highway from the settlement of Trumba -- 2 km (1.2 miles) to the west of Saraqib -- to the settlement of Ain al-Havr, according to the deal.

Turkey announced last week that it would no longer try to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe.

Thousands of asylum seekers have since flocked to Turkey’s Edirne province -- which borders Greece and Bulgaria -- to make their way to Europe.

The Greek reaction to the asylum seekers has been harsh, with many battered, attacked, tear-gassed and several killed by Greek forces.

Turkey's decision to open the border came after 34 Turkish soldiers were martyred last week by forces of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Idlib, northwestern Syria. The Turkish soldiers were stationed there to protect local civilians under a 2018 deal with Russia in which acts of aggression are prohibited in the region.

Turkey, which already hosts nearly 4 million Syrian migrants, more than any other country in the world, says it cannot absorb another refugee wave.

Ankara has repeatedly complained that Europe has failed to keep its promises under a 2016 EU-Turkey refugee deal to help migrants and stem further migrant waves.