Austrian minister: Turkey uses migrants to pressure EU

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS
Associated Press

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Austria’s European Union minister has accused Turkey of using migrant flows as a means to pressure the 27 member bloc for its own purposes. She has warned that the EU won’t be “blackmailed” by any country.  She says that countries on the EU’s external borders won’t be left to fend for themselves amid an influx of new migrants. She urged collective EU action in what she termed as “mandatory solidarity” to deal with the issue. But she said that Austria won’t accept any more migrants from frontline countries. The minister was speaking after a meeting Thursday with Cyprus’ foreign minister.