Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged that “unfortunate people” who have sought shelter in Turkey would not be sent to their war-torn countries, simultaneously attacking the opposition’s anti-migrant rhetoric and signaling to the Western allies that he would not “weaponize” the refugee issue.

Speaking at the International Benevolence Awards ceremony on March 15, Erdogan stressed that Turkey would continue to host people fleeing oppression in their world. “Yesterday, they came from Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan,” he said. “Today, they come from Ukraine. We do not know where they will come from tomorrow. But do not doubt that this country will remain a haven for those … who flee murderers, who put their trust in Turkey as the only place of safety.”

“This may have its costs, but it is hugely rewarding,” said the president in his speech filled with Islamic references. “Our beloved prophet was first a refugee,” he added, referring to the Hijrah when the Prophet Muhammad and his followers moved from Mecca to Medina in 622. 

Erdogan’s remarks come as Turkey moves out of its political isolation and reconciles its beleaguered relations in the wake of the Ukrainian crisis. His recent pledges, made first on Tuesday and then repeated in a videoconference message to the International Migration and Health Conference Thursday, appears to be a message to Turkey’s Western allies that Ankara will not weaponize refugees but continue to host them in the medium to long term and ensure health and social benefits.