EU and Turkey agree to review 2016 migration deal
The European Union and Turkey agreed to review a 4-year-old deal on managing migrants and refugees in an effort to settle a dispute that sent thousands of people to the Turkey-Greece border in hopes of reaching Europe, top EU officials said Monday.
Under the 2016 agreement, the EU offered Turkey up to 6 billion euros ($6.7 billion) in aid for the more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees it hosts, fast-tracked EU membership and other incentives to stop Europe-bound migrants. The number arriving in Greece from Turkey dropped dramatically after the deal took effect.
After talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Brussels, European Council President Charles Michel said teams headed by the EU foreign policy chief and Turkey's foreign minister would work "in the next days to clarify the implementation of the deal between Turkey and the EU to be certain that we are on the same page."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that during the talks with Erdogan “there was a clear focus on, 'Let’s discuss what is fact. Let’s sort out how both sides see the past and how we evaluate the EU-Turkey statement.'”
The Turkish leader left without speaking to the media. Officials from his office described the talks as “productive.”
EU accuses Erdogan of "blackmail"
Turkey hosts more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees, and Erdogan has demanded that Europe shoulder more of the burden of caring for them.
The EU says it is disbursing the funds but also accused Erdogan of “blackmail” for waving migrants through to Europe late last month after dozens of Turkish soldiers were killed in fighting in northern Syria.
Asked whether Erdogan promised to restart Turkey's efforts to prevent migrants from leaving the country, Michel said, “What’s in the statement, and what’s in the camp of Turkey has to be fulfilled.”
EU countries have rallied behind Greece, which is also a member of NATO, and described it as a “shield” protecting Europe's borders with the outside world.
Talks come amid tensions on the Turkish-Greek border after Ankara's move to not prevent people from trying to reach EU.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to hold talks with senior European Union officials in Brussels over a refugee crisis unfolding at the Turkish-Greek border, as Germany said the bloc was considering taking in 1,500 child refugees.
Tens of thousands of asylum-seekers have been trying to break through the land border between Turkey and Greece for days after Ankara announced it would no longer prevent people from trying to cross into the EU.
Turkey, which hosts approximately four million mostly Syrian refugees, has repeatedly railed against what it describes as unfair burden-sharing following a 2016 with the bloc to halt the influx of refugees into Europe.
Erdogan on Sunday called on Greece to "open the gates" to the refugees after Greek police used tear gas and water cannon in skirmishes with crowds at the border.
"I hope I will return from Belgium with different outcomes," he said at a speech in Istanbul.
Early on Monday, Germany said the EU was considering taking in up to 1,500 refugee children who are currently housed in Greek camps.
"A humanitarian solution is being negotiated at the European level for a 'coalition of the willing' to take in these children," the government said in a statement.
Criticising Ankara, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said "negotiating on the backs of the weakest" would not yield the desired result.
"If there is a shortage of money for providing essential humanitarian aid to refugees, whether in Turkey, Idlib or Jordan and Lebanon, we (the EU) will never refuse to talk," Maas told Funke newspapers on Sunday. "But that depends on Turkey sticking to its side of the bargain."
Barend Leyts, spokesman for European Council President Charles Michel, posted on Twitter that the Erdogan will meet Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to discuss "migration, security, stability in the region and the crisis in Syria".
In March 2016, Turkey and the EU agreed upon a deal in which Brussels would provide billions of euros in aid to help Ankara finance housing, schools and medical centres for the refugees it hosts on its soil.
But Ankara has repeatedly accused the bloc of not fulfilling its comittments under the deal, including visa-free travel for Turkish citizens and an enhanced customs union.
"We have fulfilled the obligations of the agreement we have made with the EU. However, the EU did not fulfil its commitments except for minimal contributions ... I hope we will get different results this time," Erdogan said.
