Turkey could block EU migrant deal over visas

[XXL]

Migrant crisis: Turkey could block EU deal over visas

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36373973

Turkey's parliament will block a deal with the EU on migrants if Turks do not gain visa-free access to the bloc, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says. Access to the EU's passport-free Schengen area was a key demand by Turkey in an agreement struck in March.

But the EU says Turkey still needs to meet certain conditions, including changes to its terror laws, before access can be granted. The agreement is aimed at halting the mass movement of people into Europe. Mr Erdogan has also said funds promised by the EU have not yet been released.

Under the agreement, Turkey has to meet 72 conditions to earn visa-free access to the Schengen area by the end of June. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who met Mr Erdogan on Monday, said there might not be enough time for it to be completed.

Speaking at the close of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Mr Erdogan warned: "If that is not going to happen... no decision and no law in the framework of the readmission agreement [on migrants] will come out of the parliament of the Turkish Republic."

One of the sticking points relates to Turkey's broad anti-terrorism laws. Changes to the legislation were among the conditions set by the EU under the agreement.

The EU and rights groups accuse Ankara of using the laws to intimidate journalists and stifle dissent.

The government denies it, saying it needs the laws to fight militants. Mr Erdogan has accused the EU of "hypocrisy" over the demand. The deal was largely negotiated by former Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davotuglu, who quit over a rift with Mr Erdogan.

There are fears the whole migrant deal will collapse if the visa dispute is not resolved, as the Turkish president has repeatedly warned.

'Broken promises'

Mr Erdogan also said the bloc was not delivering on its promise to deliver aid for Syrian refugees. The EU had pledged up to 6bn euros ($6.7bn; £4.6bn) in funds as part of the deal. "When you look at what has been done so far, we see that they are not keeping the promises they made," he said.

Under the EU-Turkey agreement, migrants who have arrived illegally in Greece since 20 March are to be sent back to Turkey if they do not apply for asylum or if their claim is rejected.

For each Syrian migrant returned to Turkey, the EU is to take in another Syrian who has made a legitimate request.

[Raider of the lost Ark]

I'm so sick and tired of this situation and I seriously hope the deal falls through. The EU should not step one inch away from what was negotiated in the first place. And that were the 72 points that are mentioned in above article. Too bad Turkey is not doing what this one advisor said a few weeks ago. Cancelling all treaties. Now that would have been fun. But I guess someone told this idiot what that would actually mean. He probably did believe this was a one party affair. He never thought about the hundred of thousands Turkish families that live and work in Europe, mostly Germany, that could all lose their residency and work permits at some point. This guy is acting like a dictator and he doesn't realize the harm he is doing to his country. Tourism is down by 30% already. And that is not just because of the terror attacks that happened in the last months. There are enough people that say they will not travel to Turkey and spent their money there as long as there is a leader that acts that way. Greece and Spain are more welcoming.

[karbatal]

I'm tired of this useless excuse of a person.

I'm sorry for Turkish population, but with those institutions any relation with this country is always a dissaster for Europe.

[karbatal]

I'm so sick and tired of this situation and I seriously hope the deal falls through. The EU should not step one inch away from what was negotiated in the first place. And that were the 72 points that are mentioned in above article. Too bad Turkey is not doing what this one advisor said a few weeks ago. Cancelling all treaties. Now that would have been fun. But I guess someone told this idiot what that would actually mean. He probably did believe this was a one party affair. He never thought about the hundred of thousands Turkish families that live and work in Europe, mostly Germany, that could all lose their residency and work permits at some point. This guy is acting like a dictator and he doesn't realize the harm he is doing to his country. Tourism is down by 30% already. And that is not just because of the terror attacks that happened in the last months. There are enough people that say they will not travel to Turkey and spent their money there as long as there is a leader that acts that way. Greece and Spain are more welcoming.

Indeed

The EU should have sent its MIRIADS of public workers there, to interview all the migrants and solve this problem. And of course tell USA that they are not alies anymore, because USA wars are always payed by europeans. I don't talk about Russia because in theory that country is not an ally anymore.

And now that the damage is done, try to help these people. Most of them are good qualified workers (only rich people can pay the mafias to get to Europe, poor Syrians are staying in the country or have migrated to Lebanon) and they could have a good future in Europe.

It's all so absurd: we live a demographic crisis, all the pensioners in the future will have lots of problems, yet we let this qualified and valid people rot in camps.