Erdogan using refugees to blackmail Europe – Egyptian economist

Indiana Khaled

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is now using his last card, namely the refugees, after losing his battles in northern Syria.

In using this card, the Turkish president tries to blackmail Europe and force it to support his military adventures in Syria.

In this interview with The Reference, leading economist, Rashad Abdo, who is the head of local think tank, Egyptian Forum for Economic Studies, rings the alarm about an imminent crisis in case the refugees succeed in storming into Greece.

The crisis, he said, would be economic in nature.

Abdo noted that the entry of the refugees into Greece would sound the death knell for the Greek economy.

Sir, how strong is the Greek economy?

The Greek economy started showing signs of recovery in the past few years, especially after the European Union and the International Monetary Fund offered support to Greece. This support included a rescue plan that helped the economy evade the prospect of bankruptcy. Unemployment also dropped to 18%.

What will happen if Greek authorities allow the refugees to enter?

A major crisis will happen. Greece realizes the full dangers the presence of the refugees poses to the Greek economy. Greece applied an austerity plan to avoid bankruptcy. This is why Greek authorities will most likely not allow the refugees to enter Greece. The Greek army fights tooth and nail to prevent the refugees from entering.

Does international law require Greece to allow the refugees in?

Nobody can force Greece to allow the refugees in. The European Union paid a lot of money for Turkey not to let the refugees through Europe. Now, Turkey does not honor its commitments to this agreement. This is why I expect the European Union to impose sanctions on the Turkish president in the coming few days.

What is the status of the refugees now?

International organizations will most likely offer help to refugees stranded on the Greek-Turkish border. They will give them food and water until they return to Turkey or remain in the border area between Greece and Turkey.

Why is Turkey letting the refugees down?

Erdogan treats the refugees as a commodity. He has been using them as a pressure card against the European Union. He wants the union to help him in his war in the northern Syrian city of Idlib. In 2016, Europe gave Erdogan 6 million Euros in support in order to prevent the refugees from crossing into its states.