Turkey to allow Syrian refugees passage to Europe

Turkey will allow Syrian refugees to reach Europe after Syria suffered casualties following an attack Thursday, a senior Turkish official told Reuters. 

The Turkish official noted that the refugee arrival would be imminent following the attack. 

Turkish police, coast guard and border security officials have been ordered to stand down and let the refugees pass through to the continent, the Turkish official told Reuters. 

Nearly a million have been displaced in Syria’s war-torn Idlib province, the news source notes. 

Turkish forces suffered heavy casualties Thursday when a dozens of troops were hit by an airstrike in northeastern Syria that was apparently ordered by the Syrian government.  

In the past, Turkey and the European Union agreed in a 2016 agreement to work to stop migrants from crossing the Aegean.