Syrian Crisis: Erdogan seeks support from NATO, EU

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sought more support from his NATO and EU allies over the war in Syria.

The support, according to Erdogan, was aimed at fighting rages in Idlib, and refugee crisis.

Erdogan flew to Brussels for talks with the European Union and NATO leaders after tension rose over the fate of tens of thousands of refugees trying to enter EU-member Greece since Ankara said last month it would no longer try to keep them on its soil.

After talks on Monday with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Erdogan said he wanted Turkey’s Western partners to do more to support his country to cope with millions of refugees from Syria.

“The crisis stemming from Syria, with its security and humanitarian aspects, is threatening our region and even all of Europe,” Erdogan said.

“No European country has the luxury to remain indifferent,” he added.

Thousands of people have massed at Turkey’s land border with EU-member Greece since Erdogan’s government made good on a long-standing threat and announced it would no longer prevent migrants from crossing.

The president made the move after dozens of Turkish troops were killed in intensifying fighting in Syria’s northwestern region of Idlib amid a government offensive – backed by Russian airpower – to recapture the last rebel stronghold in the nine-year war.

“We expect concrete support from all our allies in the fight that Turkey has been carrying out alone. NATO is in a critical period during which it needs to clearly show support,” Erdogan told reporters standing alongside Stoltenberg.