A new migrant wave is possible, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Tuesday, speaking about the latest developments in Afghanistan.
Turkey's top diplomat pointed out that Ankara is holding talks with both the Taliban and the Afghan officials on the future of the country.
Speaking during a joint press conference with his Serbian counterpart Nikola Selakovic in Belgrade, he mentioned that he attended the G-7 meeting on Afghanistan on Monday via videoconference and said that the situation of Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport was discussed.
Underlining that Turkey has a great role in regional issues, he added that Ankara's greatest desire is the establishment of an inclusive government in Afghanistan.
"We have to see what kind of government will be formed in Afghanistan. There is a migration crisis in the world and a new migration crisis is possible. We discussed the necessary steps to be taken to prevent irregular migration waves and to provide aid so that people in Afghanistan can stay," he said.
"Turkey is currently the country with the highest number of migrants, we do not have the capacity to host more immigrants. So far, we have fulfilled our humanitarian responsibilities exceedingly. It is not right to expect Turkey to undertake all the problems alone," Çavuşoğlu added.
Following the Taliban's takeover of war-torn Afghanistan, European countries, as well as Turkey, have tightened measures against a new influx of irregular migrants.
Erdoğan also highlighted the importance of international cooperation to prevent a new migration wave from Afghanistan as he discussed the latest developments in Afghanistan, including the migrant crisis, with several world leaders.
Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum-seekers attempting to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.
Ankara has made it clear that it will not bear the burden of migration crises experienced as a result of the decisions of third countries.
Turkey hosts more refugees than any country in the world. After the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, Turkey adopted an “open-door policy” for people fleeing the conflict, granting them “temporary protection” status.
Afghans are believed to be the second-largest refugee community in Turkey after Syrians. Many of the migrants arriving via Iran are heading for Istanbul to find work or passage to another coastal city from which to embark for Europe.
Turkish security forces continue to patrol 24/7 to prevent a new influx of illegal Afghan migrants after the Taliban's takeover of the country. Turkey's eastern border with Iran is protected by the tightened measures, including a modular wall, observation posts and trenches, which are all are supported by the latest technology. Nearly total mobilization on the Iranian border has been initiated to prevent illegal crossings.
Observers say there are no indications yet of any mass movement across the border. Turkish authorities say they have intercepted 35,000 Afghans entering the country illegally so far this year, compared with over 50,000 in 2020 and more than 200,000 in 2019.
