Turkish Airlines denies fueling Belarus-Poland migration crisis
After EU officials threatened to blacklist airlines facilitating travel for asylum-seekers amassing at the Poland-Belarus border, Turkish Airlines denied links to the bloc’s latest migration crisis.
ISTANBUL — Turkey’s flagship carrier, Turkish Airlines, denied claims it was helping fuel irregular migration to the European Union in a statement Wednesday amid a growing border crisis between Belarus and Poland with international implications.
EU officials Monday threatened to ban airlines over their alleged roles in facilitating Minsk-bound travel for asylum-seekers, which Belarusian authorities have reportedly been guiding toward the Polish border. The carriers that could be targeted include Turkish Airlines, the United Arab Emirates’ FlyDubai, Belarus’ Belavia and other commercial airlines.
Videos and media reports this week showed thousands of migrants amassing at the Polish border and seeking entry as part of an apparent retaliation by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko against EU sanctions imposed over the regime’s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters earlier this year.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday European officials were preparing new sanctions on Belarus, expected as early as next week, along with penalties for airlines fueling the migration crisis.
