Erdogan’s Turkey is Weaponizing Illegal Immigration – Europe Must Wake Up

For years, Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has played a dangerous game with Europe, using illegal immigration as a political weapon. This strategy, a form of hybrid warfare, is designed to destabilize European nations, extract concessions, and advance Ankara’s geopolitical ambitions. The latest waves of migration from North Africa and the Middle East are not just a humanitarian crisis—they are a direct threat to Europe’s security, stability, and cultural fabric. The European Union’s failure to respond decisively has only emboldened Erdogan, allowing him to tighten his grip on this strategic leverage.

Erdogan has long manipulated migration flows as a form of political coercion. His 2016 agreement with the European Union, in which Turkey promised to curb illegal migration in exchange for billions of euros, was never intended as a long-term solution. Instead, it gave Erdogan a powerful tool to exploit whenever diplomatic relations soured. The Turkish president has repeatedly threatened to open the floodgates, and in 2020, he actively facilitated the movement of thousands of migrants towards the Greek border. These actions were not spontaneous but calculated moves to pressure the EU into concessions, whether financial aid, political support, or silence on Turkey’s increasingly authoritarian rule.

The consequences of Erdogan’s migration blackmail are severe, not just for frontline states like Greece and Italy but for all of Europe. The sheer scale of unchecked migration is straining European societies, creating tensions between native populations and newly arrived migrants. The issue is not simply economic—although welfare systems and job markets are undoubtedly under stress—but also ideological. Many of the migrants arriving from North Africa and the Middle East bring with them cultural norms and, in some cases, extremist ideologies that clash with Western democratic values. Erdogan himself has long championed political Islam, supporting groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas while pushing an Islamist agenda that reaches deep into European societies. Through Turkish-backed mosques, organizations, and NGOs, Erdogan has fostered Islamist enclaves within Europe, ensuring that Turkish influence extends far beyond its borders.

The link between migration and rising extremism in Europe is a reality that politicians can no longer afford to ignore. Radicalization is no longer an abstract threat; it is a growing presence in European cities, from Brussels to Berlin. The influx of migrants, combined with weak integration policies and the existence of Islamist networks, has created fertile ground for extremist ideology to spread. The number of terror-related incidents in Europe in the past decade underscores the urgency of the situation. While not all migrants pose a threat, the lack of proper vetting and monitoring has allowed dangerous individuals to exploit open-border policies. Erdogan is well aware of this and continues to use migration as a destabilizing force, undermining European unity while expanding his own geopolitical influence.

Europe’s reluctance to confront Turkey’s role in this crisis stems from multiple factors. Many European leaders fear antagonizing Erdogan, worried that he might escalate tensions further by flooding Europe with even more migrants. Others, bound by political correctness, hesitate to acknowledge the role of Islamist ideology in shaping migrant communities. This inaction, however, only plays into Erdogan’s hands. His strategy thrives on European weakness, exploiting the continent’s divisions and moral dilemmas. The longer European leaders refuse to take decisive action, the greater the risk of long-term societal fragmentation, political instability, and increased radicalization.

To counter Erdogan’s weaponization of migration, Europe must reclaim control over its borders and rethink its approach to immigration. Stronger border enforcement is necessary to prevent Turkey from using migration as a bargaining chip. Instead of relying on Ankara to manage migration flows, European nations must establish independent agreements with North African states, strengthening local border security and implementing more rigorous asylum procedures. Furthermore, migration policies should prioritize the vetting of individuals to ensure that those entering European societies align with democratic values. The presence of Islamist organizations operating under the guise of community outreach must also be addressed. These groups, often backed by Turkish and Gulf-state funding, serve as conduits for political Islam, spreading ideologies that are fundamentally opposed to Western democracy.

If Europe fails to act decisively, it risks an irreversible transformation that will erode its social fabric and weaken its political stability. Erdogan’s strategy is clear—use migration to exert pressure, expand influence, and shape European policy to Turkey’s advantage. The only way to neutralize this threat is for Europe to adopt a firm, unified stance, one that rejects Erdogan’s blackmail and prioritizes security over political appeasement. The time for half-measures is over. The future of Europe depends on its ability to recognize and resist this insidious form of warfare before it is too late.