EU, Turkey Strike Migrant Deal; Erdogan Gets €6 Billion
By Tyler Durden
Turkey and the EU came back to the negotiating table on Thursday and Friday in Brussels in the latest installment of a long-running attempt to hammer out a deal that will help stem the flow of refugees into Europe.
Germany, Sweden, Austria, and a number of other countries are quite literally breaking under the pressure and everyone involved fears things could get far worse as winter turns to spring and the Balkan route thaws.
While the ceasefire and the hope of a political settlement to Syria’s five-year-old conflict may help, there are still scores of jihadist elements operating in the country and those who are inclined to be realistic know there’s no hope of anyone wanting to come back to the country anytime soon.
Of course Turkey is the key corridor through which the asylum seekers pass on their way to Greece. Europe is keen on figuring out a way to work with Ankara to ameliorate the current situation in which scores of migrants have found themselves stuck in Idomeni as they desperately try to cross the Macedonian border and make their way north.
(migrants in Idomeni at the Greek border with Macedonia: NY Times)
The conditions Turkey requires for striking a deal have changed over time, but two things have been relatively constant: 1) money, 2) accelerated EU membership.
On Friday, EU leaders agreed upon a proposal to present to Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu. Generally speaking, it looks a lot like a proposal that took shape earlier this month. Here’s a summary from The New York Times:
- Sending Migrants Back to Turkey From Greece
- All migrants who travel to Greece from Turkey using irregular means after an agreement is reached will be returned to Turkey, in what the agreement calls “a temporary and extraordinary measure, which is necessary to end the human suffering and restore public order.”
- A One-for-One Swap of Syrians
- For each Syrian migrant returned to Turkey, the European Union will directly resettle another Syrian from Turkey, with priority given to Syrians who have not previously entered, or tried to enter, the European Union, up to a total of 72,000.
- If that number is reached — as it almost certainly will be — a new round of negotiations will be held.
- Stricter Controls of Turkey’s Borders
- Turkey will take “all necessary measures” to prevent migrants from opening new sea or land routes to the European Union from Turkey in a measure aimed at assuaging concerns in Bulgaria that migrants will stream into the country.
- Concessions for Turkey
- The European Union will speed up the disbursement of the €3 billion it pledged in November, and provide another €3 billion by the end of 2018, once Turkey meets its commitments.
- The European Union will waive most visa requirements for Turkish citizens by the end of June, provided that Turkey meets certain requirements.
According …read more
Source: EU, Turkey Strike Migrant Deal; Erdogan Gets €6 Billion
