“The Roman Empire, before it collapsed, too, paid tribute money to barbarians for them not to pilfer its territory. Turkey, on its part, is able to accept these refugees not only because they make up a mere fraction of its overall population but also because they share the same religion [with Turks],” Zeman said.
He said Turkey must be approached with caution.
“I expect the Turkish ambassador to address a protest note to the Prague Castle in reaction to this couple of sentences of mine,” he said.
Zeman again warned of the risks posed by the Muslim immigration to Europe. He mainly mentioned women’s rights.
“The danger does not rest in Islam as such but in transferring these [Muslim] habits to Europe,” he said.
The EU and Turkey have pledged to resume Ankara’s EU accession talks in exchange for Turkey’s cooperation aimed to stop the inflow of migrants to Europe.
The EU plans to provide €3 billion to Turkey to ensure accommodation for Syrian refugees in Turkey. Ankara, on its part, pledged to make its border with the EU less permeable.
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