Umit Ozdag Threatens to Plant Mines on Turkey’s Geographical Borders

The head of the Zafar Party, Umit Ozdag, stated that if he becomes president, he will announce his country’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty to ban mines, and will plant them on the Turkish-Syrian border in order to prevent refugees from reaching Turkey.

In a panel discussion organized by the Thought Club of Istanbul Bilgi University , Ozdag criticized his country’s policy, which he accused of being lenient with refugees and facilitating their crossing by removing mines that were at the borders. He pledged to plant mines again to protect his country’s borders, according to his claim.

Ozdag added that he will not bear the responsibility for casualties as a result of the explosion of those mines, saying: I am sorry if there are people who die from mines, it is not my fault. It’s everyone’s fault who has tried to cross the border.

This is not the first time that Ozdag has threatened to use violence and force against the refugees. Earlier, he had threatened to throw them to their countries with catapults, or an internal civil war if they were not deported.

The constant incitement of Umit Ozdag and the Turkish opposition against the refugees continues, and the number of victims does not stop. The last victim was the Syrian young man, Sultan Abdul Basit, who was stabbed to death by a group of Turkish youths in Taksim Square earlier this week.