President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed Wednesday to keep Turkey's border open for migrants and refugees trying to get to Europe until the EU delivered on each of Ankara's demands over a 2016 migration deal with the bloc.

"Until all Turkey's expectations, including free movement, ... updating of the customs union and financial assistance are tangibly met, we will continue the practice on our borders," he said in a televised speech to lawmakers from his AK Party in parliament.

Erdogan said Turkey would lodge its demands to the bloc prior to the next EU summit in Brussels on March 26.

Read more: Opinion: Europe has lost its soul at the border

Nazi comparison

The Turkish president also said Greece's treatment of migrants and refugees at their border was akin to that of the Nazi regime.

"There is no difference between what the Nazis did and those images from the Greek border," he said, followed by images of migrants being tear-gassed as they attempted to force their way across the border.

Read more: Putin and Erdogan seek to avoid direct confrontation in Syria

EU-Turkey relations

On Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told state-run Anadolu news agency the European Union should stop "stringing Turkey along" over assisting with the millions of migrants on its territory. His message came the day after the two parties agreed to review the 2016 accord aimed at halting the flow of refugees into the EU.

Cavusoglu said the EU should take "sincere" steps to help Turkey with the situation, such as finding ways to ensure Syrian refugees can return home.

Syria: Idlib reaches a breaking point Families flee as frontline closes in Syrian troops have intensified their push for the country's last major rebel enclave — a "prelude to their total defeat," according to President Bashar Assad. The violence and mass displacement could result in the biggest humanitarian horror story of the 21st century, said the UN's humanitarian and emergency relief head, Mark Lowcock. Children in particular have become the face of this suffering.

Syria: Idlib reaches a breaking point Largest exodus since World War II Of the almost 900,000 forced from their homes and shelters in the last three months, 80% have been women and children, a UN spokesperson said. Around 300,000 of those have fled since the start of February alone. The wave of displacement is the largest exodus of civilians since World War II.

Syria: Idlib reaches a breaking point Deadly temperatures With temperatures reaching minus seven Celsius (19 degrees Fahrenheit) at the snow covered displacement camps in the hills near Turkey's borders, seven children have died from exposure and bad living conditions. Save the Children said families are burning whatever they can find to stay warm. The chairty warned the death toll could rise.

Syria: Idlib reaches a breaking point Belligerents bolster forces Convoys of Turkish commandos rolled toward the former "de-escalation zone" as Russian-backed Syrian forces intensified their push to retake the area in late January. After 13 Turkish soldiers stationed there to support rebels were killed in early February, diplomatic efforts to broker a cease-fire stalled.

Syria: Idlib reaches a breaking point Highway to nowhere Assad's offensive to retake the strategic M5 highway leading through Idlib province to Syria's second city, Aleppo; has been a long-term objective. After a Russian bombing campaign helped Syrian forces capture all towns along the route on February 11, fierce fighting in western Aleppo forced more than 43,000 toward the Turkish border.

Syria: Idlib reaches a breaking point Russian bombing 'indiscriminate' The sheer number of Russian and Syrian aerial and artillery attacks on displacement camps, hospitals and schools "suggest they cannot all be accidental," UN human rights spokesperson Rupert Colville said. His office has recorded 299 civilian deaths this year, 93% caused by the Syrian government and its allies. Michelle Bachelet, the UN's human rights chief, called the campaign "indiscriminate."

Syria: Idlib reaches a breaking point Rebels, jihadis strike back Turkish-supported rebels have been caught out by the onslaught, as have jihadis who are not officially backed by Ankara. One Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, scored a rare victory last week when they downed a particular model of helicopter that Syrian forces are thought to use to drop barrel bombs on civilians.

Syria: Idlib reaches a breaking point Search for safety The UN's Bachelet said "no shelter is now safe" and displacement camps have been overwhelmed by the number of those fleeing from the violence. Many have left the camps to take their chances on the road. Bachelet called for humanitarian corridors to be established to allow civilians to escape.

Syria: Idlib reaches a breaking point No way out Turkey has closed its borders to prevent a further influx of Syrians. It already hosts 3.5 million refugees. That leaves the people of Idlib with no escape route. More than 500,000 of those fleeing are children. Author: Tom Allinson



jsi/stb (AFP, Reuters, AP)

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