Neighboring states not taking refugees: Turkish minister

AKSARAY - Anadolu Agency

AA photo

Syrian refugees hoping to cross the Turkish border into Greece or Bulgaria can leave, but neighboring countries are not taking them in, Turkey's Trade Minister Cenap Aşçı said on Sept. 19.

"They do not have passports. Refugees are now waiting. If neighboring countries let them in, Turkey would let them pass [through] the country," Aşçı said while visiting the central province of Aksaray.

The four-day crisis has been caused by a rumor on social media that Germany would accept thousands of Syrian refugees.

That hearsay led hundreds of Syrian refugees living in Turkey to gather in Istanbul's main bus station in order buy a ticket to travel over the Turkish-Greek border.

Unable to buy tickets, some refugees even walked to Edirne, a province bordering EU member Greece.

Although the rumor was denied by the Turkish authorities, many refugees insisted on crossing into Greece or Bulgaria to march towards Germany.

Aşçı said that Serbia and Hungary had sealed their borders in order to stop Syrian refugees advancing further into the continent.

Representatives for Syrian refugees were scheduled to meet Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Sept. 19 to resolve the ongoing crisis as crowds of people are still waiting in Edirne.