Erdogan accuses EU of broken promises on refugees

ANKARA (AA) – Turkey's president strongly criticized the EU on Friday, accusing it of breaking promises on refugees.

Speaking in Istanbul, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it was Turkey which was feeding over three million refugees.

Addressing the EU, he added: “You did not keep your word. When 50,000 refugees were at the Kapikule [Turkey-Bulgaria] border, you cried out.

“You started to say: 'What will we do if Turkey opens border gates?'”

“If you go too far, the border gates will be opened", he said.

Erdogan's statement followed the European Parliament's approval on Thursday of a non-binding motion to freeze EU-membership talks with Turkey.

Membership negotiations between Turkey and the EU began in October 2005.