Turkey can't handle additional migration burden, Erdoğan tells Michel

The Turkish president on Aug. 22 talked with the EU Council president over the phone, saying Turkey cannot handle an additional migration wave.

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*Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Charles Michel discussed regional issues, especially the developments in Afghanistan and the issue of migration, as well as steps to enhance Turkey-EU relations, according to a statement by Turkey's Communications Directorate.

Erdoğan said the latest developments in Afghanistan demonstrate the importance of Turkey's participation in the EU's PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation) project in the field of defense and security.

Turkey's primary goal is achieving sustainable peace and stability in Afghanistan, as well as the evacuation of its citizens from the Taliban-seized country, he stressed.

Noting that many European countries have also met their demands for support for the evacuation, he underlined that the Turkish military has made "extraordinary efforts to restore order in Afghanistan and to soundly operate the Kabul airport."

Erdoğan told Michel that he wants a smooth transition in Afghanistan, adding that if the necessary measures are not taken, the pressure on immigration from Afghanistan will increase even more, which will pose a serious challenge for all countries.

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The EU should help the Afghan people in Afghanistan and in neighboring countries, especially Iran, he emphasized.

Erdoğan said Turkey is already home to at least 5 million refugees, stressing that the country cannot handle an additional "migration burden."

Mentioning that Turkey received a request from the EU for the acceptance of local personnel, who works for EU's mission in Afghanistan, to Turkey, he said the member states have opened their doors...