Turkey is "no longer able to hold refugees" following a Syrian attack that killed 33 troops in Idlib, Omer Celik, a spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AKP party, said on Friday.

The announcement comes as some 300 migrants walk through northwest Turkey towards its borders with Greece and Bulgaria on Friday, according to DHA news agency.

Read more: Live updates: Syrian airstrikes kill dozens of Turkish troops in Idlib

"As a result of the attack, the (refugees) in Turkey are heading towards Europe, and those on Syrian territory are heading towards Turkey," Celik told CNN Türk shortly after midnight Friday morning.

"Our refugee policy is the same as before, but we are now in a situation where we can no longer hold them."

UN, EU query reports of fresh migrant influx

A spokesman for the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday it did not have reports of people in Turkey on the move towards Greece or other parts of Europe.

The EU has also expressed doubt about the influx of refugees reported by some media outlets.

"I would like to stress that there was no official announcement from the Turkish side about any changes in their asylum seeker, refugee or migrant policy," a spokesman for the EU's executive told a news briefing.

"We have not received any communication to that effect. We have no reports of a visible shift of movement to the borders," UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch said at a news briefing in Geneva.

Demiroren news agency said the group of migrants, including women and children, embarked on their journey from Turkey's Edirne province toward borders with Bulgaria and Greece — two European Union nations — at around midnight. Syrians, Iranians, Iraqis, Pakistanis and Moroccans were among those in the group.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has discussed the situation in Turkey and the movement of migrants towards Greek borders during a call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster On the run Traffic is heavy on the roads heading north through the Idlib region toward the Turkish border. Soldiers of the Assad regime are advancing from the south and east, aided by their Russian and Iranian allies. Some Syrian rebel groups are supported by Turkey, which also has soldiers of its own in the region. But ordinary people just want to reach safety.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster 'Horror has multiplied' Almost 1 million people have been displaced since December. According to UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock, "the horror has multiplied" in the past two weeks. The front lines are closing in, triggering large movements of people in the space of just a few days. Assad wants to drive the civilian population out of Idlib province, and is moving to capture this last rebel stronghold.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster Bombed to pieces Maaret al-Numan and the surrounding area has been particularly badly hit by the attacks. The city has been bombed to pieces and is practically deserted. The important M5 highway runs through here, from Damascus via Aleppo to the Turkish border. Most of those fleeing are trying to make it to Turkey — but the border is closed.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster Waiting at the border Around 100 people, including 35 children, died in bombings in the first half of February alone, according to the United Nations, which has spoken of the "blatant disregard for the life and safety of civilians." This family fled to the Turkish border months ago. They're living in the Kafr Lusin refugee camp, holding on to the hope that Turkey will eventually let them in.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster 500,000 children in need Out of the almost 1 million people who have fled it's estimated that around half are children. Of the rest, the majority are women. There aren't enough shacks at the Turkish border to house them all, and many refugees are living in tents. Camps are often set up in haste and are severely overcrowded. People are sleeping in doorways and on pieces of cardboard, sometimes in sub-zero temperatures.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster Little food and medicine Those who have been able to find a tent usually share it with about a dozen family members. Medicine is running out in many of the camps, and basic food and clothing is also becoming scarce. Doctors on the ground report that many children are suffering from malnutrition, and some are even dying of starvation. The cold is also taking its toll, and some people have already frozen to death.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster Refuge in a school Many children in the region can no longer go to school, so some school buildings have been repurposed. This school has been turned into a refugee shelter — sometimes, even the refugee camps are targeted in bombing raids.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster Trying to reach safety The illegal route across the border to Turkey is costly; hardly anyone can afford it. Smugglers are charging people up to $2,000 (about €1,800). Those who do make the attempt are risking their lives: Turkish border guards have thermal imaging cameras to help them spot people trying to cross. Sometimes they shoot at refugees who try to climb over the wall.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster Looking for dignity The UN has said the situation in Idlib could be the greatest humanitarian disaster of the 21st century. No one knows whether or not there will be a ceasefire. The refugees don't care who puts an end to the war; they just want a life of safety and dignity, for themselves and for their children. A four-way summit between Turkey, Russia, France and Germany, planned for March 5, is now in jeopardy. Author: Diana Hodali



Greece steps up border patrol

In anticipation of the migrants, Greece has increased border patrols "to the maximum possible level," according to the Agence France Presse. Greece boosted its military presence along the Turkish border earlier this month, and the government has looked into installing a floating barrier in the Aegean Sea to stop migrants arriving.

According to EU figures, Greece saw more than 60,000 asylum seekers arrive from Turkey on the shores of its Aegean islands in 2019, andit expects more than 100,000 more in 2020.

Turkey hosts some 3.6 million Syrians under a 2016 agreement with the EU to halt the flow of migrants in to Europe. The agreement resulted from European migrant crisis of 2015 in which millions of refugees flooded into Europe, nearly half of which from Syria.

Since then, Erdogan has threatened repeatedly to "open the gates" amid several disputes with Europe.

Bulgaria is also ready to send 1,000 troops to the Turkish border to prevent illegal migrant inflows, the defense minister has said. The EU member country has a 300km land border with Turkey.

ed,dv/rc (AFP, AP, Reuters)

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