'Turkey supported allies, primarily Poland, in Belarus migrant crisis'

Turkey has supported its allies, primarily Poland, during the migrant crisis with Belarus, the Turkish foreign minister said on Tuesday, reports Anadolu Agency.

“As a country hosting more than 5 million refugees and the largest number in the world since 2014, Turkey is the best country to understand the difficulties that our ally Poland and other countries are witnessing,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said in Budapest at the sixth meeting between foreign ministers of Turkey and the Visegrad Group of four Central European nations.

He said the situation in the Balkans was “concerning” as stability and prosperity in the region are vital for both Turkey and the European Union.

Cavusoglu said the Visegrad Group, EU, and all relevant countries must work together to overcome the crisis, calling for negotiations to continue between all sides.

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Since August, EU countries bordering Belarus – Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland – have reported a dramatically growing number of irregular migrants from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria crossing their borders.

The EU blames Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for orchestrating an ongoing crisis that, at its peak last month, saw thousands of asylum seekers stranded on the EU’s eastern frontiers.

Cavusoglu said Turkey is working closely with the Visegrad Group states Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic to fight irregular migration.

“We will host Hungarian security forces in Turkey, while Turkish police will be deployed in the region to enhance cooperation in the fight against irregular migration and international organised crime networks,” he said.

The situation at the Poland/Belarus border – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]