Turkey's Erdogan threatens to open borders to migrants

Istanbul: Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, threatened to throw open Turkey's borders to illegal migrants, after the European Parliament voted to back a freeze in membership talks with Ankara.

"Listen to me. If you go any further, then the frontiers will be opened, bear that in mind," Erdogan told the European Union (EU) in a speech in Istanbul.

On March 18, Ankara and Brussels forged a deal for Turkey to halt the flow of migrants to Europe - an accord that has largely been successful in reducing numbers crossing the Aegean Sea.