Erdoğan: Turkey won't close gates to Europe

"It is too late for Turkey to close its borders to migrants who want to cross into Europe," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said. 

He slammed European countries for ignoring Turkey's calls to respond to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in northwestern Syria.

The president noted that calls from European leaders poured in after he announced that Turkey would no longer stem the flow of irregular migrants to the bloc.

Attacks by Bashar Assad's forces have killed 55 Turkish soldiers this month in Idlib. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has threatened to push back Assad's forces if they do not retreat to predetermined lines. Airstrikes targeting Turkish troops have heightened tensions between pro-opposition Turkey, Assad, and its ally, Russia.