Turkish foreign minister meets with European Commission vice president

By Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met Thursday with European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas in Turkey's capital Ankara to discuss regional issues.

"We discussed with Schinas irregular migration issues in our region, including in Belarus," Cavusoglu said on Twitter.

Schinas is expected to meet with Vice President Fuat Oktay​​​​​​​ and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu on Friday, according to information from the European Union delegation.

Since August, the EU countries bordering Belarus -- Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland -- have reported a dramatically growing number of irregular crossings.

More than 8,000 people have tried to enter the bloc via the Belarus-EU border in 2021, up sharply from just 150 last year.

Belarus reaches out to potential travelers through seemingly official channels, including diplomatic missions and travel agencies, and invites them to Belarus by offering visas, according to the EU. They are then allegedly guided to the EU border.

​​​​​​​In the last week, at least 2,000 people, including women and children, have been stuck in the Belarusian-Polish border area in dire conditions.