ISTANBUL (AFP) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday (Feb 29) vowed to allow refugees to travel on to Europe from Turkey, which he said can no longer handle new waves of people fleeing war-torn Syria.

"What did we do yesterday (Friday)? We opened the doors," Mr Erdogan said in Istanbul in his first comments since 33 Turkish troops were killed in northern Syria on Thursday.

"We will not close those doors... Why? Because the European Union should keep its promises."

The Turkish leader also said 18,000 migrants have amassed on the Turkish borders with Europe since Friday, adding that the number could reach as many as 30,000 on Saturday.