Istanbul (dpa) - Turkey will start imposing visa requirements on Syrians trying to enter the country, a senior government official said Thursday, as negotiations stepped up between Ankara and the European Union to clamp down on migrant flows.
Turkey has largely maintained an "open door policy" for Syrians. Some 2.2 million Syrians have entered the country since 2011, when its civil war broke out. The requirements would mark a shift in this long-standing policy.
That‘s because, especially in the last year, hundreds of thousands of Syrians in Turkey have pushed on to Europe, often taking dangerous boat journeys and creating the largest refugee influx since World War II.
"In recent months, there has been a significant increase in the number of fake passport holders among travellers arriving in Turkey from Egypt and Lebanon," the Turkish government official said.
"The decision to introduce a visa requirement for Syrian nationals reflects the necessity to address this security issue stemming from third countries."
Turkey would still keep an open door policy for people clearly identifiable as refugees, such as those arriving from over the border, the official said.
A document circulated among diplomats in Brussels indicated Turkey, which is seen as a key partner to curb the flow of migrants, would begin the visa requirements on January 8.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was also at a Brussels summit Thursday, meeting with EU member states thought to be favourable to resettling refugees directly from his country.
Turkey is hoping to get some 3 billion euros (3.2 billion dollars) from the bloc to help it cope with the refugees it hosts. Ankara also wants more support from Europe in taking in refugees.
The deal is controversial in certain European circles, with opponents pointing to Ankara‘s human rights record as a cause of concern.
Turkey has largely maintained an "open door policy" for Syrians. Some 2.2 million Syrians have entered the country since 2011, when its civil war broke out. The requirements would mark a shift in this long-standing policy.
That‘s because, especially in the last year, hundreds of thousands of Syrians in Turkey have pushed on to Europe, often taking dangerous boat journeys and creating the largest refugee influx since World War II.
"In recent months, there has been a significant increase in the number of fake passport holders among travellers arriving in Turkey from Egypt and Lebanon," the Turkish government official said.
"The decision to introduce a visa requirement for Syrian nationals reflects the necessity to address this security issue stemming from third countries."
Turkey would still keep an open door policy for people clearly identifiable as refugees, such as those arriving from over the border, the official said.
A document circulated among diplomats in Brussels indicated Turkey, which is seen as a key partner to curb the flow of migrants, would begin the visa requirements on January 8.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was also at a Brussels summit Thursday, meeting with EU member states thought to be favourable to resettling refugees directly from his country.
Turkey is hoping to get some 3 billion euros (3.2 billion dollars) from the bloc to help it cope with the refugees it hosts. Ankara also wants more support from Europe in taking in refugees.
The deal is controversial in certain European circles, with opponents pointing to Ankara‘s human rights record as a cause of concern.
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