Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the Brookings Institute in Washington March 31, 2016. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey will not go through with an agreement to take back Syrian migrants from Europe if the European Union does not fulfill its pledges, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday.

Under the deal, Ankara will take back all migrants and refugees who cross the Aegean Sea to enter Greece illegally. In return, Europe will take in thousands of Syrian refugees directly from Turkey and reward it with money, visa-free travel and progress in its EU membership negotiations.