Brussels, 10/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 10 February, Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu described the calls to open the border between Turkey and Syria as “hypocritical”. Europeans have for several days been calling on Ankara to open this border (see EUROPE 11485) as tens of thousands of Syrians pile up there, fleeing the Russian-backed attack of the Syrian regime on Aleppo.
“I find it hypocritical that some are telling Turkey to 'open your borders' while they do not at the same time tell Russia 'enough is enough'”, Davutoglu stated while visiting the Netherlands to meet Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose country currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU. “We will let the Syrians in who want to come, but our priority is to build a new camp so as to take in Syrians on Syrian territory”, Davutoglu stated.
Rutte called on all parties, including Russia, to respect United Nations Security Resolution 2254, which was adopted unanimously and demands a ceasefire and humanitarian access to the besieged Syrian towns. “The Russian air attacks in the north of Syria seem to be in contradiction” with this resolution, Rutte stated.
At the same time, from Paris, French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius once again criticised the Russian attitude. “On top of the regime's brutalities, there is complicity from Russia and Iran”, he told the French National Assembly, demanding a ceasefire and a halt to the bombing. “There is a certain amount of ambiguity from a whole series of partners”, he also said, without naming them. At a press conference earlier in the day, he had nevertheless said he thought there were “ambiguities (…) including in the coalition actors”. “I'm not going to repeat what I have often said before, particularly on the main leader of the coalition (the USA), and others too. But there is not the feeling that there is a very strong commitment”, he criticised, adding that the Russians and Iranians had understood this. Paris finds Washington too conciliatory with Moscow.
The International Syria Support Group is meeting in Munich on Thursday 11 February. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)