Erdogan threatens to send refugees to EU as NATO steps in
Burak Akinci and Stuart Williams in Istanbul
11 February 2016
In a speech in Ankara, Erdogan stepped up his denunciations of Western policy in the refugee crisis, confirming he had threatened EU leaders at a summit meeting in November that Turkey could say "goodbye" to the refugees.
Erdogan sought to turn the tables on the EU by saying Turkey had every right to turf the refugees out of the country if it so wished.
"We do not have the word 'idiot' written on our foreheads. We will be patient but we will do what we have to. Don't think that the planes and the buses are there for nothing," Erdogan said.
The website had quoted Erdogan as telling Juncker: "We can open the doors to Greece and Bulgaria anytime and put the refugees on buses."
Speaking after NATO defence ministers approved the mission, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO is "now directing the standing maritime group to move into the Aegean without delay and start maritime surveillance activities".
Snippets from AFP - YahooNews