BRUSSELS/ANKARA: On Nov 12, it emerged that Turkey had banned Syrian, Yemeni and Iraqi residents from flights to Minsk. The decision potentially closes off one of the main routes that Belarus has used to fly in migrants by the thousand to plan a humanitarian catastrophe on its border, according to the EU. EU officials have welcomed the announcement by Turkey’s Civil Aviation General Directorate that Syrians, Yemenis, and Iraqis would not be authorized to purchase tickets to Belarus or board flights there from Turkish territory.
