UPDATE - Over 100,500 migrants leave Turkey to reach Europe

UPDATES WITH NUMBER OF IRREGULAR MIGRANTS; EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Sena Guler and Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - The number of irregular migrants leaving Turkey for Europe has reached 100,577 as of Sunday evening, Suleyman Soylu said.

The migrants are leaving Turkey through northwestern Edirne province bordering with Greece and Bulgaria.

Thousands of migrants flocked to Pazarkule, a border gate with Greece, after Turkish officials announced Friday they would no longer try to stop irregular migrants from reaching Europe.

It followed an attack by Syrian regime forces on Turkish troops in the Idlib de-escalation zone, which martyred 34 soldiers.

Turkish soldiers are working to protect local civilians under the 2018 deal with Russia which prohibits acts of aggression in the region.

Turkey already hosts some 3.7 million migrants from Syria alone, more than any other country in the world.

Ankara has repeatedly complained that Europe has failed to keep its promises under the 2016 EU-Turkey refugee deal to help migrants and stem further migrant waves.