Turkey, Russia Deny Ties to Belarus-Poland Border Crisis
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Both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin's senior advisors deny any connection to the crisis that left hundreds of migrants from the Middle East stuck at the Belarus-Poland border.
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Turkey and Russia deny their ties to the border crisis between Belarus and Poland.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's senior advisor confirmed to AFP today, Saturday, that accusing Ankara or its national carrier of responsibility for the humanitarian crisis at the border between Poland and Belarus is "misguided."
Yesterday, Friday, Ankara banned citizens of three Middle Eastern countries from flying from Turkish airports to the former Soviet republic because of "the problem of illegal border crossings between the European Union and Belarus".
The decision came days after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen threatened to impose sanctions on airlines that engage in "human trafficking".
Turkish Airlines provides one of the busiest international routes to Minsk.
But the Turkish president's adviser on foreign affairs, Ibrahim Kalin, stressed that accusing Turkey of somehow contributing to the border crisis was "unjust".
"This recent crisis of illegal migrants between Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, and a few other European countries, in fact, has nothing to do with Turkey," he said in an exclusive interview for AFP.
He added, "Travellers are going to Belarus and from there to Lithuania, Poland and other EU countries. Blaming Turkey for that, or Turkish Airlines is simply so misguided, misplaced."
Putin denies connection between Russia and Belarus' border crisis with Poland
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday denied claims that Moscow is helping to orchestrate a crisis that has left hundreds of migrants from the Middle East trapped on the Belarus-Poland border.
While blaming Western policies in the Middle East for the crisis, Putin denounced accusations by Poland and others that Russia is working with Belarus to send migrants to the EU's borders.
"I want everyone to know. We have nothing to do with it," he said in an interview with a state television broadcast Saturday, indicating that European leaders should hold talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to resolve the crisis, stressing, "as I understand it" German Chancellor Angela Merkel was ready to do so.
He added, "We should not forget where these crises associated with migrants came from... Western countries themselves, including European countries."
European leaders accuse Lukashenko, who rules Belarus, of luring migrants to cross into Poland in response to previous EU sanctions imposed on Minsk over its suppression of dissent.
The European Union is expected to expand its sanctions next week to include new measures in response to the charge of "human trafficking".
In an interview with the French newspaper "Le Figaro" published on Saturday, Vice President of the European Commission Margaritis Scaenas said that the sanctions will be "approved and applied".
He explained that it will apply to the Belarusian airline "Bellavia", which was accused of transporting migrants from Turkey and others to Minsk.
