Members of the EU and other European countries are in a state of “panic” over the influx of refugees from Ukraine, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed on Sunday.
Speaking in front of his party’s supporters in the town of Kizilcahamam, Erdogan said that while Turkey “has been successfully managing the irregular migration originating from Syria for 11 years, we are seeing panic in Europe as a result of the Ukraine-Russia crisis.” The Turkish head of state went on to express hope that the “world will get out of the critical period it is going through as soon as possible.”
Since Russia attacked Ukraine in late February, nearly 14 million Ukrainians have been displaced, according to a report published on Friday by Amin Awad, the assistant secretary-general and United Nations crisis coordinator for Ukraine. Six million of these people are believed to have fled to neighboring countries.
EU member states such as Poland, Romania and Hungary have been among the top destinations, in addition to Russia, for Ukrainian refugees.
Aside from the issue of migration triggered by the Ukraine conflict, Erdogan also touched on the applications of Sweden and Finland for NATO membership, which were submitted in mid-May, citing a perceived threat from Russia.