Turkey threatened Friday to open the migrant floodgates if the European Union halts its membership talks, as criticism grows of Ankara's heavy-handed response to a failed military coup. The deal also calls for the EU to devote up to 6 billion euros ($6.4 billion) in aid for Syrian refugees living in Turkey. In Brussels, EU officials confirmed Friday that 677 million euros have been delivered and a total of 1.2 billion euros signed into contracts with Turkey. A further billion euros has also been officially "allocated." Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka dismissed Erdogan's comments on Friday as "blackmail" and said Ankara shares responsibility for ensuring its EU membership bid stays on track.

Source: Egypt Independent November 26, 2016 08:32 UTC