Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered his coast guard to prevent migrants from crossing the Aegean Sea. Erdogan has triggered a migrant crisis at the Greece border by falsely informing people the border was open.
“On the orders of the president… permission will not be given for migrants to cross the Aegean sea because it is dangerous,” Anadolu news agency quoted the coast guard was saying.
Crossings from Turkey to Lesbos have surged in recent weeks after Turkey declared it would not stop migrants from attempting to reach the European Union.
Turkey hosts nearly 4 million refugees from the Syrian war, and has a deal with the EU to prevent them from moving into the bloc.
Turkey claims the the EU has failed to honor its promises and also wants support in Syria where it is fighting Russian-backed Syrian government forces.
Tens of thousands of people have attempted to cross into the country, mainly through the land border, but also via the Aegean Sea into Lesbos.
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