Tanju Bilgiç

Nobody should consider Turkey as a refugee camp, the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) spokesperson Ömer Çelik said on Aug. 9, elaborating on recent discussions after Afghans started fleeing to Turkey.

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The U.S. walked back on Aug. 4 remarks from senior officials regarding Afghan refugee flows amid a diplomatic row with Turkey, and voiced regret about the comments.

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State Department spokesman Ned Price said Washington "did not intend to single out any particular country as a destination for refugees."

A United States official has expressed Washington's regrets over Ankara's concerns that a recent U.S. decision on the Afghan migrants can lead to a potential travel of Afghans to Turkey, which criticized the former's "irresponsible" move.

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Turkey will not accept the "irresponsible" decision taken by the United States regarding the resettlement of Afghan refugees, because the plan addresses Turkey as the target country for application of the migration procedures, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç said on Aug. 3.

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Turkey on July 27 dismissed remarks made by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on the partial reopening of the Varosha region in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as being worthless for Turkey.

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The statement of Vice President and High Representative of the EU Commission Josep Borrell following President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Turkish Cyprus is "null and void" for Turkey as it aims advocacy of Greek Cyprus, Ankara has said.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry said on July 20 that a statement by the European Union's foreign policy chief on the Turkish president's recent visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is fresh proof of the bloc's disconnect from the truth on the Cyprus issue.

Turkey condemned the meeting of French President Emmanuel Macron with members of "the so-called 'Syrian Democratic Council,' which is under the control of the PYD/YPG, the Syrian extension of the terrorist organization PKK," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç said in a written statement on July 20.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on July 12 had a telephone conversation with his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, over the treatment members of the Istanbul football giant Galatasaray were subject to by Greek authorities in Athens.

Turkey on July 6 "strongly" condemned an attempted desecration of the Turkish flag in Tobruk, Libya by supporters of putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar, calling it a "heinous act."