Syrian refugees wait in the cold to enter Turkey, Erdogan announced border opening

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country is ready to open its borders to tens of thousands of Syrians who were waiting in the cold on Sunday after fleeing Aleppo ahead of the Syrian army's offensive. While awaiting Ankara's decision, the humanitarian situation is becoming increasingly "hopeless" for civilians, primarily women and children, in northern Syria, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said, reports the Patria News Agency.

If the Syrians, forced to flee, are "at our doors and have no other choice, we must allow our brothers to enter, and we will do so," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters on Saturday.

However, he did not say when Syrians would be able to enter his country, while the main border crossings, including Oncupinar, remained closed on Sunday. Europeans reminded Ankara of its duty towards Syrian refugees, of whom there are already 2.7 million on its territory.

More than 30,000 people have arrived in recent days in the vicinity of the town of Azaz, five kilometers from the Turkish border, said the governor of the Turkish border province, Suleyman Tapsiz, on Saturday, emphasizing that this wave could reach 70,000, writes Index.