Turkey raises migrant pressure on EU over Syria conflict

• Dozens of other migrants landed on Greek islands in dinghies after crossing from the Turkish coastline.
• Turkey and Russia, who back opposing forces in the Syria conflict, have held talks to defuse tensions after an air strike killed the Turkish troops, sparking fears of a broader war and a new migration crisis for Europe.

PAZARKULE: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday threatened to let thousands of refugees cross into Europe and warned Damascus would "pay a price" in retaliation after dozens of Turkish troops were killed inside Syria.

At the Turkish border, Greek police clashed with several thousand migrants already gathered at the entrance to EU territory, where they hurled rocks at security forces firing tear gas across the frontier.

Dozens of other migrants landed on Greek islands in dinghies after crossing from the Turkish coastline.

Turkey and Russia, who back opposing forces in the Syria conflict, have held talks to defuse tensions after an air strike killed the Turkish troops, sparking fears of a broader war and a new migration crisis for Europe.

But Erdogan raised the stakes on Saturday and vowed to allow refugees to travel to Europe from NATO-member Turkey as a way to pressure EU governments over the Syrian conflict.

Turkey already hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees.

Erdogan's comments were his first after 34 Turkish troops were killed since Thursday in northern Syria's Idlib where Moscow-backed Syrian regime forces are battling to retake the last rebel enclave.

"What did we do yesterday? We opened the doors," Erdogan said in Istanbul. "We will not close those doors.... Why? Because the European Union should keep its promises."

He was referring to a 2016 deal with the European Union to stop refugee flows in exchange for billions of euros in aid.

Erdogan said 18,000 migrants have amassed on the Turkish borders with Europe since Friday, but that could reach as many as 30,000 by Saturday.

There were skirmishes on the Turkish-Greek border at Pazarkule on Saturday with Greek police firing tear gas to push back thousands of migrants, according to AFP photographer in the western province of Edirne.

Ahmad Barhoum, a Syrian refugee, said he had been trapped at the border since Friday.

"If they do not open we will try to cross by illegal means," he told AFP.

"I hope that they will end up letting us in so that we can start a new life in Europe worthy of human beings," said one Egyptian refugee.