Hundreds of migrants head for Turkey’s borders with Greece and Bulgaria after a senior official said Ankara will no longer prevent Syrian refugees from reaching Europe, Reuters reported referring to Turkish media. 

Earlier, the agency reported the Turkish police, coast guard and border services were ordered not to impede the transfer of refugees to Europe.

The Demiroren news agency reported that nearly 300 migrants, including women and children, are sent to the borders of EU member states. Syrians, Iranians, Iraqis, Pakistanis and Moroccans were among these groups. Migrants also gathered in the western Turkish coastal region of Ayvacik in the province of Canakkale to travel by boat to the Greek island of Lesbos.

Reuters could not confirm who the people were and where they were going. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to open the gate to Europe.