Turkish Airlines bars Syrians, Iraqis, Yemenis from boarding Belarus flights amid migrant crisis

Turkish Airlines has banned Syrians, Iraqis and Yemenis from boarding flights to Belarus, amid accusations that it has been facilitating irregular migration to the European Union.

Friday November 12 2021 12:01 pm

Duvar English

The Polish Presidency has announced that Turkish Airlines (THY) will not sell Minsk tickets to citizens of Iraq, Syria and Yemen starting on Nov. 12.

Jakub Kamoch, the head of the Polish Presidency International Politics Bureau, made the announcement on his Twitter account, saying that those with diplomatic passports will be exempt from this implementation.

Turkish Airlines 🇹🇷 potwierdziły, że nie będą odtąd przyjmować na pokłady samolotów do Mińska obywateli Iraku 🇮🇶, Syrii 🇸🇾 i Jemenu 🇾🇪 z wyjątkiem posiadaczy paszportów dyplomatycznych. W imieniu @prezydentpl dziękuję wszystkim, którzy uczestniczą w rozmowach w tej sprawie.
— Jakub Kumoch (@JakubKumoch) November 11, 2021

Meanwhile, a THY official told Sputnik's Turkish service: “Our airline will accept on its Minks flights citizens of Iraq, Syria and Yemen who have only diplomatic passports and have a residence permit in Belarus.”

Turkey's Civil Aviation General Directorate (SHGM) also released a statement with regards to the issue on its Twitter account.

"Due to the problem of illegal border crossings between the European Union and Belarus, it has been decided that the citizens of Iraq, Syria and Yemen who want to travel to Belarus from Turkish airports will not be allowed to buy tickets and boarding until further notice," the SHGM said.

Due to the problem of illegal border crossings between the European Union and Belarus, it has been decided that the citizens of Iraq, Syria and Yemen who want to travel to Belarus from Turkish airports will not be allowed to buy tickets and boarding until further notice.
— Sivil Havacılık GM (@SHGM) November 12, 2021

The European Union's chairman, Charles Michel, thanked Turkey over the airliner's move.

"Thank you to the Turkish authorities," Michel said on Twitter.

Thank you to the Turkish authorities and @SHGM for your support and cooperation. https://t.co/w0B0aaytBL
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) November 12, 2021

Poland and the EU earlier this week said that Turkish Airlines - which flies from Istanbul to Minsk - was turning a blind eye to the transit of migrants and refugees.

In return, Turkey said that it rejects efforts to "portray it as part of the problem" in the migrant crisis along the Poland-Belarus border.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu held a phone conversation with his Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau on Nov. 10, saying that Turkey was being made part of a problem despite not being party to it.

In the phone call, Çavuşoğlu also invited technical teams from Poland to inspect operations at Istanbul Airport.

On Nov. 8, Polish authorities stepped up border protection and mobilized more than 12,000 troops after a large group of migrants started marching toward the country’s frontier with Belarus accompanied by the Belarusian military.