Meeting reports
February 2021
18 March agreement obligations will determine the course of the Turkey-EU relations
Date: 13/02/2021
Earlier this week, President Erdogan held a video conference call with German Chancellor Merkel. Issues that can improve the cooperation between the two sides and regional issues, especially Turkey-EU relations, were discussed at the meeting.
Erdogan stated that they are determined to proceed with a positive agenda in the relations with the EU and that they are hoping to have more technical meetings before the Euro Summit in March 2021. In light of this, he underlined how a fair and constructive attitude towards Turkey is to the advantage of both sides. He also emphasized that the revision of the March 18th deal should be one of the priorities.
Erdoğan also commented that they are expecting to have a Turkey-EU Summit before Portugal’s presidency ends.
IOM calls for end to pushbacks and violence against migrants at EU external borders
Date: 10/02/2021
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is calling on the European Union (EU) and its Member States to take urgent action to end pushbacks, collective expulsions, and the use of violence against migrants and refugees, including children, at the EU’s external land and maritime borders[1].
IOM continues to receive documented reports of human rights violations and breaches of international law and its conventions, including the European Convention on Human Rights. Our direct interactions, with migrants – including during the delivery of assistance –, as well as various testimonies and photographs shared by NGOs and the media, confirm the level of brutality they were subjected to before being pushed back across maritime and land borders.
“The use of excessive force and violence against civilians is unjustifiable,” says IOM Chief of Staff Eugenio Ambrosi.
“States’ sovereignty – including their competence to maintain the integrity of their borders – must be aligned with their obligations under international law and respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all.”
Pushbacks and collective expulsions are prohibited under international and EU law, and IOM condemns in the strongest terms the abuse of migrants and refugees at any border.
The Organization welcomes recent investigations initiated by several states and EU bodies into allegations of pushbacks, violations of the principle of nonrefoulement, as well as violence at borders, and stresses that action needs to be taken by states to put an end to these abuses.
The alarming situation at some of the EU’s external borders highlights the need to improve migration and asylum policy and governance, and implement humane and integrated rights-based practices.
IOM welcomes the proposal by the European Commission – set out in the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, currently under negotiation – that EU Member States establish an independent border monitoring mechanism, working closely with the Fundamental Rights Agency, as an effective way to ensure accountability and compliance with international and EU laws. IOM continues to offer its support to the EU and its Member States on migration governance, including capacity building for rights-based integrated border management that respects the human rights of all migrants.
Signs in Turkey seek to help distressed migrants going to Europe
Date: 08/02/2021
Thousands of irregular migrants attempt the perilous journey to Europe via Turkey each year, and Turkish authorities are trying prevent the loss of life along the trecherous terrain during winter months.
Migration authorities on Monday placed signboards in six different languages along the Meriç (Evros) River, which marks the Turkish-Greek border, for irregular migrants. Billboards in Turkish, English, Arabic, Farsi, Urdu and Bengali show the nearest residential facility for migrants lost along the route and feature the number of a hotline designated to assisting migrants.
Musa Aşılıoğlu, the manager of the provincial migration office in northwestern Edirne province, told reporters that Turkey’s migration policy sets an example for the rest of the world. “We do not neglect our humane and conscientious responsibilities in dealing with irregular migration. Our purpose is to help migrants facing mishaps, so that we can prevent situations that hurt human conscience,” he said.
Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum-seekers hoping to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution. Turkey hosts more refugees than any other country in the world – nearly 4 million, including some 3.6 million Syrians.
Aşılıoğlu highlighted that Turkey never refused migrants and did not expect other countries “which think using force against migrants is the only way to manage the migration,” to understand Turkey’s actions.
Greece, a gateway for migrants who arrived in Turkey to cross into Europe, is often accused of illegal “pushbacks” with Greek patrols forcibly returning migrants encroaching on its borders. Migrants have reported being beaten by the Greek authorities, who often hold the travelers at gunpoint before ordering that they return to Turkey across the Meriç. Last year, Ankara opened border crossings into Greece for migrants, in response to the lack of humanitarian and financial aid from the international community to help the displaced people.
Merkel tells Erdogan she welcomes eastern Mediterranean progress
Date: 08/02/2021
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that she “welcomed the most recent positive signals and developments in the eastern Mediterranean,” according to a German government statement released Monday.
In a video conference between the two leaders, Merkel “stressed that it was now important to make progress in dialog.”
Erdogan has caused much consternation in the EU by pursuing oil and gas exploration in waters off the coast of Cyprus and Greece, which maintain their sovereignty over the maritime territory.
Turkey initiated oil and gas exploration by sending drilling ships into waters off the island of Cyprus — itself a historical bone of contention between Turkey and Greece — in August 2020. Despite repeated warnings, Ankara has ignored EU calls for it to halt its activities.
In December, EU members voted to impose sanctions on Turkey over its intransigence in the matter. “Regrettably, Turkey has engaged in unilateral actions and provocations and escalated its rhetoric against the EU, EU member states and European leaders,” read a statement from Brussels at the time.
During the December summit, EU leaders left open the possibility of expanding sanctions beyond individuals to affect much larger segments of the Turkish economy at their next EU leaders’ summit, which will take place on March 25-26.
Erdogan brushed off the threat of further sanctions at the time, choosing to stick by his confrontational stance. Still, his words have become less aggressive of late and Merkel has reacted positively to his self-proclaimed desire to “turn the page.”
Germany, home to Europe’s largest Turkish diaspora, has consistently attempted to mediate between Turkey and the EU on a number of issues. Most notably in regard to keeping together the 2016 refugee deal that the bloc struck with Turkey in which Ankara prevents irregular immigration to Europe in exchange for cash.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/merkel-tells-erdogan-she-welcomes-eastern-mediterranean-progress/a-56502285
Pressure grows on Frontex head after new accusations
Date: 07/02/2021
The pressure is growing on the head of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) after new accusations of abuses that were deemed “very worrying” by Brussels, as claims on the agency’s role in migrant pushbacks from Greek waters toward Turkish waters still await settlement.
The damning reports against Fabrice Leggeri come at a time when the Frontex agency is taking on a greater frontline role in patrolling the European Union’s borders.
Migration is a hot-button issue across the EU and a rallying cry for far-right parties that are a rising force in some countries at the ballot box.
Leggeri is in charge of making sure his beefed-up agency can tighten control of Europe’s vast frontiers, and he has been given an ever-increasing budget to do so.
But the Frenchman has been the subject of succeeding rounds of accusations both for the methods used to stop migrants as well irregularities in Frontex spending.
The agency is under investigation by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the EU’s independent corruption watchdog, over allegations of illegal pushbacks of migrants arriving in Greek waters from Turkey.
Members of the European Parliament and activists have called for Leggeri to resign over the operations, but he has refused to do so, insisting his agency is key to the fight against human trafficking.
“Investigations are underway and it is normal that we have to report to the political authority. We are becoming a police force,” Leggeri told France’s Europe 1 radio.
The pressure came after media and rights organizations had documented multiple cases of Frontex border officers, alongside national counterparts in EU countries, forcing migrants back, particularly along Greece’s sea border with Turkey.
At least six incidents where Frontex units were involved in pushbacks near the islands of Lesbos and Samos between April 28 and Aug. 19 have been documented.
While the border agency is required to rescue migrants, the Frontex vessels patrolling the area sped past the overcrowded, inflatable boats, creating dangerous waves to force them to return to Turkish shores. A Frontex aircraft was also documented passing over migrants, who were seeking help at sea, but did not rescue them.
It was also reported that the German forces participating in the Frontex mission in the Aegean Sea helped the Greek coast guard push migrants back toward Turkish territorial waters during at least one incident.
Turkey and Greece have been key transit points for migrants aiming to cross into Europe, fleeing war and persecution to start new lives. Turkey has also accused Greece of large-scale pushbacks and summary deportations without access to asylum procedures, which is a violation of international law. It also accuses the EU of turning a blind eye to what it says is a blatant abuse of human rights.
Pushbacks are considered contrary to international refugee protection agreements, which say people shouldn’t be expelled or returned to a country where their life and safety might be in danger due to their race, religion, nationality or membership in a social or political group.
Such actions prevent asylum-seekers from making claims for refugee status, and if practiced indiscriminately against a group of migrants can constitute “refoulement” – a violation of EU human rights laws and the 1951 Geneva Convention.
More worryingly for Leggeri personally are new accusations of spending irregularities and bad treatment of staff.
Documents revealed by several media outlets allegedly show that Frontex has been courted by dozens of defense and tech lobbyists, in violation of EU transparency rules.
This follows other media reports that said the raids on Frontex headquarters by OLAF investigators also turned up accusations of fraud and harassment of staff members.
According to these reports by French daily Liberation and Germany’s Der Spiegel, the investigators are looking into, among other things, a contract with a Polish IT service provider, which is said to be tainted by irregularities.
The European commissioner for home affairs, Ylva Johansson, said on Friday that the latest reports were “very concerning” for an agency that is “going to be, by far, the biggest EU agency with a lot of power.”
“We need a strong, solid and well-functioning Frontex agency,” she told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
With a mandate reinforced in 2019, Frontex is to have 10,000 agents by 2027 who will be directly employed by the agency and no longer seconded to the force by the member states.
The Frontex management board – composed of representatives from member states and the European Commission – has set up a working group to investigate the case.
In an unprecedented move, the agency suspended its operations in Hungary at the end of January, following a European court ruling condemning the country’s asylum policy.
Source: https://www.dailysabah.com/world/europe/pressure-grows-on-frontex-head-after-new-accusations
Migration statistics update: The impact of COVID-19
Date: 05/02/2021
Newly available EU data[2] on asylum and irregular border crossings in the first 10 months of 2020 shows the impact of the pandemic on migration to the EU. The EU as a whole registered a 33% year-on-year decrease in asylum applications and a 6-year low in irregular border crossings. However, the impact was not a uniform decrease: several local communities received unexpected large numbers of arrivals, and the overall number of arrivals has continued recovering after a large drop around April.
Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, said: “Solidarity has taken on a whole new meaning in the unprecedented actions taken by the European Union to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. That same solidarity now needs to be translated into the field of migration management as well. We can only manage migration well if we do it together – whether migration is high or low. It is high time for an agreement on our proposals for a European migration and asylum policy.”
Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, said: “The pandemic had a significant impact on migration and on migrants themselves who often played a vital role in the EU’s response to COVID-19, while also facing disproportionate risks. While we negotiate the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, Member States need to continue upgrading and reforming their migration management systems. With low arrivals meaning less work for asylum systems, now is a great time to agree on a fair, efficient and resilient way to take responsibility together.”
Updated data on population changes overall, including legal migration which represents a large majority of migration into the EU, will be available later this year. That data is likely to show a large decrease in migration overall due to current restrictions. Data on returns in 2020 will also be available later this year, where a decrease is also anticipated. The Commission aims to provide updates every quarter.
Large decrease in asylum applications
In the first 10 months of 2020, 390,000 asylum applications (including 349,000 first time applications) were lodged in the EU, 33% less than in the same period of 2019. Member States reduced their backlogs of pending asylum cases. At the end of October 2020, the number of pending cases was 786,000, 15% less than at the end of 2019. This still means that on the EU level, the backlog represents more than a year’s worth of new applications – with significant variations between Member States. The recognition rate, or the percentage of asylum applications that resulted in a positive decision at first instance (before any appeals), including decisions granting humanitarian status, stood at 43%.
Irregular border crossings lowest in 6 years, but with significant regional variations
A 10% decrease in the number of irregular border crossings to the EU (114,300 in the period January-November 2020) was observed compared to the same period in 2019, the lowest level in the last 6 years. While there was a significant decrease in irregular arrivals in countries of first entry along the Eastern Mediterranean (-74%, 19,300), the decrease was predominantly due to low arrivals from Turkey to Greece, where the situation is likely to change depending on different factors including political and economic developments in Turkey.
Despite overall reductions, irregular arrivals via the Central Mediterranean (to Italy and Malta) increased (+154%) compared to the same period in 2019. There were over 34,100 such arrivals in 2020, compared to almost 11,500 in 2019, with the majority of people arriving in Lampedusa. With the exception of the month of March, arrivals consistently exceeded 2019 levels.
Arrivals in Spain, and in particular the Canary Islands, significantly increased (+46%, 35,800) in 2020 compared to 2019. In Spain, the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on irregular arrivals was temporary: since August 2020, the number of arrivals to Spain was consistently greater than in 2019.
In both cases, many new arrivals originate from countries suffering from the economic downturn rather than conflict. A decline in global remittances is also likely to contribute to this trend. Until the pandemic is contained and economic recovery is underway, poor prospects of employment and healthcare in countries of origin will remain an incentive for people to come to the EU.
Crossing the Mediterranean Sea remains dangerous. Despite decreased departures in 2020, 1,754 persons were reported dead or missing compared to 2,095 persons in 2019.
Background
In September 2020, the Commission presented the New Pact on Migration and Asylum[3] including a detailed evidence paper[4] which relied on available statistics on migration to Europe to underpin the policy proposals. The Commission published statistics on migration to Europe[5] which will be updated every quarter based on the latest available data from sources including: Eurostat, OECD, UNDESA, UNHCR, IOM and Frontex and EASO.
Data is collected on different schedules. Quarterly data is available on asylum, irregular migration and return, while annual updates are planned for overall population changes (April); visa, employment and worldwide refugee numbers (July); and legal migration as well as the application of ‘Dublin’ asylum rules (October).
Source: https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2021/02/05/migration-statistics-update-the-impact-of-covid-19/
[1] https://www.iom.int/news/iom-calls-end-pushbacks-and-violence-against-mi…
[2] https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/promoting-our-eu…
[3] https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/promoting-our-eu…
[4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1601291023467&uri=SW…
[5] https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/promoting-our-eu.
January 2021
Dialogue with Turkey is preferable to war, Avramopoulos tells Kathimerini
Date: 31/01/2021
Greece is at a crossroads with Turkey where Athens must “answer a simple question: Dialogue or conflict?” “The answer is obvious,” former European commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos tells Kathimerini – who is clearly in favor of dialogue.
Avramopoulos argues that exploratory contacts, which recommenced in Istanbul on January 25, can lead to tangible results, but on the condition that there is “strong political will, trust and mutual understanding.” In this framework, he adds, the role played by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is instrumental, as they are both “powerful leaders.” Referring to the relationship he has built with the Turkish president over the years, Greece’s former minister of defense and foreign affairs said that Erdogan often has an “emotional reaction to many issues.”
On the issue of migration – which was his portfolio at the European Commission from 2014 to 2019 – Avramopoulos applauds the efforts of the current government, but expresses fears that inflows may pick up again, mainly from North Africa, once the coronavirus pandemic subsides.
He also takes the opportunity to announce that he will be running for a seat in Parliament in the next elections, representing the First Constituency of Athens. Source: https://www.ekathimerini.com/261826/article/ekathimerini/comment/dialogue-with-turkey-is-preferable-to-war-avramopoulos-tells-kathimerini
EU calls on Turkish local authorities for more refugee projects
Date: 28/01/2021
Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, head of the EU Delegation to Turkey, said Thursday they appreciate Turkey’s refugee policy, adding that the bloc has completed the transfer of 6 billion euros (about $7.3 billion) to be used in projects for migrants according to the deal between Ankara and Brussels in 2016.
Landrut, who replaced the previous EU delegation head Christian Berger last August, arrived in Gaziantep to hold several meetings, including with the governor and mayor of the province.
“Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey Ambassador Nikolaus MEYER-LANDRUT met with the Mayor of Metropolitan Municipality of Gaziantep Ms. Fatma Şahin. We are thankful for her warm welcome and frank exchange of views,” the EU delegation said on Twitter after Landrut’s meeting with Şahin.
Landrut said the EU expects the projects to be implemented, especially by local authorities, after the transfer of the promised amount in the migrant deal. He added that cooperation with Gaziantep should be strengthened with new projects due to the province’s position as an important hub for refugees.
Şahin said the municipality created a “Gaziantep model” in relations with refugees, carrying out special projects for children’s rights, women’s rights and human rights. The veteran mayor would like to continue working with the EU delegation in joint projects for refugees.
According to the EU’s latest data, all operational funds have been committed, 4.7 billion euros contracted and 3.4 billion euros disbursed.
Despite EU’s claims, Turkish officials say the bloc has not kept its promises. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said early January that the 2016 migrant deal signed with the EU needs to be updated and promises from the union on assisting Turkey’s efforts for refugees, such as building briquette houses on the border, were not met.
Hosting more than 3.5 million Syrians, Turkey signed a deal with Brussels in 2016 to reduce the influx of migrants taking the dangerous Aegean Sea route to Europe.
Under the deal, Turkey was promised 6 billion euros in financial aid, which was initially designed to be given to the country in two stages and to be used by the Turkish government to finance projects for Syrian migrants. Visa freedom for Turkish citizens was also a perk of the agreement and the customs union was to be updated.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Borisov: We are aware of the migration burden Turkey is experiencing
Date: 25/01/2021
Stating that they are aware of the migration burden Turkey is experiencing, hosting 3,7 million irregular migrants while facing the risks of the Covid-19 pandemic, Borisov underlined that they value Turkey’s efforts.
According to a written statement made by the Prime Ministry, Borisov received Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, who was on a daily visit to his country in his office.
Borisov pointed out that the Covid-19 pandemic affected the tourism between the two countries.
Borisov recalled that Turkey and Bulgaria are close neighbours and NATO allies, and said that they are “key partners” on the issues of irregular migration, counterterrorism, energy, agriculture, trade, economy.
Prime Minister Borisov stressed that they are insistent on the EU to always keep the dialogue with Turkey open.
Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism Mariana Nikolova were also present at the reception. Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/bulgaristan-basbakani-borisov-turkiye-nin-yasadigi-goc-yukunun-farkindayiz/2122311
Turkey, EU agree on continued dialogue, renewal of migration deal
Date: 23/01/2021
At the end of a busy diplomatic week in Brussels, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey and European Union officials agreed to further enhance dialogue and engage in concrete actions while both sides voiced a consensus on the need to renew the March 18 migration deal, aimed at reducing the influx of irregular migrants toward Europe.
“The positive atmosphere in Turkey-EU ties first started with positive rhetoric, then continued with dialogue and has to be supported now by concrete acts to be permanent,” Çavuşoğlu told reporters Friday. He added that Turkey wanted to build up on the positive atmosphere that was reached following a December EU leaders meeting and was not calling for improved relations for the fear of sanctions.
He said that the meetings, which included the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, European Council President Charles Michel as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU parliamentarians were “open, honest and positive.”
He added that now EU officials are expected to visit Turkey as soon as possible.
“Most EU member countries want better Turkey-EU relations,” he continued.
Saying that the issue of migration is not limited to financial aid but has also other branches such as the relocation of Syrian migrants to EU countries and the voluntary return of Syrian citizens to safe areas in their country, Çavuşoğlu said EU officials agreed to the need to update the March 18 statement, which needed to be “applicable.”
“We see indicators that the number of irregular migration might increase in the upcoming future,” the top diplomat pointed out.
Within the framework of bilateral relations, Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey’s expectations included the revival of accession talks and that Ankara be treated not as part of the EU’s foreign policy but as a negotiating candidate member.
Turkey’s top diplomat to visit Brussels for key talks with EU, NATO
Date: 20/01/2021
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will pay a two-day visit to Brussels to discuss the future of Turkey-EU relations with senior EU officials, including matters concerning visa waiver to Turkish nationals, updating customs union and renewing of migrant deal.
During his trip on Jan. 21 and 22, Çavuşoğlu will hold extensive talks with his counterpart, the EU’s high representative for security and foreign policy, Josep Borrell, and commissioners responsible for migration and enlargement.
His schedule includes a meeting with EU Council President Charles Michel and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who are expected to visit Turkey for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan next week.
“During the talks in Brussels, all aspects of Turkey-EU relations, Turkey’s accession process, current regional and international issues are expected to be discussed. Turkey’s expectations for progress in Turkey-EU relations through a positive agenda will be conveyed,” the Foreign Ministry stated.
For his part, Borrell expressed his optimism about the ongoing dialogue with Turkey in a statement at the EU Parliament ahead of Çavuşoğlu’s visit.
“It seems that the ambiance is much better than that last summer. Let’s hope that the meeting with Minister Mr. Çavuşoğlu will be at least longer than we had in Malta during the month of August that lasted no more than one hour,” Borrell said.
“So, let’s see if we can change the dynamics. I’m sure we will,” he added.
Three top issues that Çavuşoğlu and Borrell will discuss are the preparations for the upcoming Turkey-EU Summit, the renewal of the 2016-dated migrant deal and the modalities of a multilateral conference on the eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey says that the migrant deal needs to be renewed in the light of new realities as the country is currently hosting around five million refugees, twice more than in 2016 when Ankara and Brussels agreed on a 3+3 billion euros financial assistance.
The migrant deal included prospects for expanding the scope of the 1995-dated customs union with Turkey that has not been fulfilled yet by the EU due to the political obstacles. Turkey also demands the EU to accomplish the process for visa liberalization for Turkish citizens.
EU immigration: Frontex faces scrutiny over its growing role
Date: 20/01/2021
To its supporters, Frontex — a once-obscure agency based in Warsaw — has become key to the EU’s strategy of controlling entry to its territory. It is an important milestone in the bloc’s efforts to create functioning institutions that can implement its security and foreign policy objectives. The US, some European officials like to point out, had a coastguard before it had its own navy.
Critics, by contrast, see Frontex as the spearhead of a militaristic “Fortress Europe” strategy that has been plagued by allegations of abuses and lacks sufficient accountability. Giulia Laganà, a migration specialist at the Open Society European Policy Institute, brands the Frontex video a “ludicrous” example of the “utter hypocrisy” of the EU’s “failed migration policy”.
“Frontex want to make themselves look like the equivalent of homeland security or ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] in the US,” she says. “The objective is keeping as many people out of Europe as possible, by any means possible.”
As it gains a higher profile, Frontex is facing a growing docket of concerns. On the same day the new uniform was unveiled, reports revealed that its headquarters had been raided in December by investigators from Olaf, the EU’s anti-fraud office. The agency has also come under increasing pressure from the European Commission over its alleged failures to implement human rights safeguards and write crucial rules including on how its agents should use firearms.
Most pressingly, Frontex faces an inquiry into multiple claims that it has been complicit in illegal “pushbacks” of refugees trying to enter the EU on foot or in flimsy boats. This can endanger migrants’ lives at sea or leave them stranded in countries such as Bosnia, sometimes in makeshift camps. Such actions also deny people the right to apply for asylum, even though some may be fleeing conflict zones or seeking refuge from persecution. Initial results of the review, set up by Frontex’s own management board, which comprises representatives of EU member states and the commission, are due to be discussed on Thursday. The report is likely to fuel the already intense battles over the agency’s activities and future.
The story of Frontex is also the tale of how migration has become a dominant theme in EU politics since it sparked a crisis in 2015. In that year, more than 1m people arrived in the bloc, many from civil war-racked Syria, triggering border closures by some EU states and bitter arguments about where the refugees would go. The policy debate since then has revolved around how to prevent a repeat. This has stoked deep divisions between Mediterranean nations that want to redistribute arriving asylum seekers around Europe, and states such as Hungary that refuse to take any.
One of the few big policies member states have managed to agree on is the need to beef up Frontex. The 15-year-old agency was given the task in 2019 of building a standing cadre of 10,000 officers by 2027. It says it will have hired 1,000 of those by the end of this year, with the remainder to be made up of secondees from national authorities. The agency’s budget has grown from €142m in 2015 to €460m last year.
Last March, Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan followed through on a threat to “open the gates” to refugees. The move showed the fragility of a 2016 deal under which Turkey has received billions of euros in EU funding in exchange for taking back refugees who have travelled from its soil to Greek islands. Thousands travelled to the border with Greece, which Ursula von der Leyen, European commission president, then praised as the EU’s aspida, or shield. Media investigations later suggested two men may have been shot dead by Greek security forces — allegations Athens denies. Source: https://www.ft.com/content/32d464ad-1efb-4b6b-ad43-427d05e01852
Turkey-EU ties in better place thanks to constructive steps, Çavuşoğlu says
Date: 18/01/2021
The German and Turkish foreign ministers have confirmed Ankara and Brussels’ readiness to re-establish ties as 2020, a rocky year for bilateral relations, is left behind with hopes that dialogue can resolve the Eastern Mediterranean dispute
Ties between Turkey and the European Union are in a better place now thanks to constructive steps taken by Europe, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Monday.
“We are not engaging in new initiatives toward the EU because of sanctions. We decided to approach the EU because of their constructive stance toward Turkey during the union’s December summit,” Çavuşoğlu expressed during a joint news conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas in the capital Ankara.
Maas agreed with Çavuşoğlu on opening a new chapter in bilateral ties. “Our efforts are for establishing constructive and sustainable ties between Turkey and the EU,” he said.
Last week, Çavuşoğlu, alongside President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, held a meeting with EU ambassadors in Ankara, during which Turkey’s intention to restore strong bilateral ties with the union was highlighted.
Turkey is ready to set a “positive agenda” with the EU, including a long-term perspective, the president said during the meeting, adding that relations must get back on track. Erdoğan said last week in a statement that Turkey prioritizes the EU in its agenda and sees its future in Europe.
Ankara hopes to start afresh with the bloc in the new year, the president said, adding that interactions with the EU in 2020 were unproductive due to the artificial problems created by certain EU members.
Other than the bilateral ties between Brussels and Ankara, four topics are expected to dominate the agenda: updating the migrant deal with the EU, visa liberalization for Turkish citizens, updating the customs union with the EU and Turkey’s proposal for an Eastern Mediterranean conference.
EU leaders during a meeting in Brussels on Dec. 10 decided to draw up a list of Turkish targets for sanctions over what they described as Ankara’s “unilateral actions and provocations” in the Eastern Mediterranean, an area believed to be rich in energy resources.
Facing Biden, Erdogan extends olive branch to EU
Date: 17/01/2021
Facing a potentially hostile US administration, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to break his isolation by mending EU relations, torn by what the bloc views as his bellicose foreign policy.
Ties between Ankara and Brussels have plunged to a nadir not seen since Turkey formally opened talks to join the bloc in 2005, a process which is now frozen.
And while Erdogan speaks of turning “a new page”, the list of European grievances is long.
Most recently, Brussels began drawing up a list of sanctions over Turkey’s hunt for natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean, which triggered a naval standoff with Greece last year.
But older suspicions simmer.
Erdogan’s direct military interventions in the Syrian and Libyan conflicts raised hackles in Europe, while his vocal backing of Azerbaijan in the six-week Nagorno-Karabakh war upset Armenia’s allies across the West.
Erdogan’s threats to send millions of Syrian and other refugees Turkey is hosting to Europe if the bloc fails to provide more funding are a constant menace.
And he has made the animosity personal by attacking French President Emmanuel Macron’s treatment of Muslims, which Europe counters by pointing to Turkey’s grim record on human rights.
Some believe this standoff is unsustainable for Erdogan.
“Ankara cannot afford an escalation with both the US and Europe, especially with an economy this fragile,” a European diplomat told AFP.
– ‘Looking for friends’ –
Turkey’s heavy dependence on Europe is borne out by the numbers.
EU member states accounted for 67.2 percent of foreign direct investments in Turkey between 2002-2018, according to official data.
With foreign sentiment dented, the Turkish lira lost a fifth of its value against the dollar last year, forcing the central bank to burn through most of its reserves trying to prop up the currency.
Then Erdogan parted ways with his powerful son-in-law, who served as finance minister and bore the blame for Turkey’s economic woes.
A few days later, Erdogan first mentioned reforms and “turning a new page” in relations with Europe.
“Erdogan is looking for friends anywhere and everywhere,” said Ilke Toygur, an analyst at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, and Elcano Royal Institute.
To this end, Erdogan held a meeting on Tuesday with EU ambassadors — described as “positive” by some of those who took part — while Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will visit Brussels on Thursday.
Macron and Erdogan have also exchanged letters that Cavusoglu said could help reboot their relations, leading to a possible video conference call.
– Preparing for Biden –
US President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump, who once called the Turkish leader a “good friend”, appears to be at least partially responsible for Erdogan’s shift in tone.
“Biden’s victory has reshuffled the cards. Turkey expects the next US administration will be less inclined to let it off the hook,” the European diplomat said.
Certain appointments by Biden are likely to raise hairs in Ankara, none more so than Brett McGurk’s naming to the National Security Council, where he will oversee the Middle East and Africa.
McGurk has been an outspoken critic of Turkey’s policy on Syria, where the US supports a Kurdish militia that Ankara blames for attacks on its soil, and will play an important role in shaping Washington’s relations with Erdogan.
“This seeming call for a rapprochement with the EU can be interpreted as preparation” for Biden, said Sinem Adar, an associate at the Centre for Applied Turkey Studies in Berlin.
Erdogan was once part of a select group of leaders who could dial up Trump directly on the phone, but Adar said the loss of this privilege with Biden is not the only factor behind the attempted rapprochement.
He faces “mounting domestic pressure due to economic woes accentuated by Covid-19” and a “decreasing vote share” for his ruling party and its nationalist junior partners, Adar said.
Source: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210117-facing-biden-erdogan-extends-olive-branch-to-eu
EU aiming for win-win approach with Turkey
Date: 15/01/2021
The EU is aiming for a win-win situation for its relations with Turkey, the European Commission spokesperson said on Friday.
It is very important for the bloc to “re-establish an atmosphere of dialogue, cooperation and mutually beneficial constructive engagement” with Turkey, Peter Stano said.
The EU welcomes the latest conciliatory statements from the Turkish government, but the bloc also looks forward to these “intentions to be translated into concrete actions, meaning de-escalation and refraining from unilateral actions,” he explained.
According to the foreign affairs spokesperson, last Saturday’s high-level videoconference and the Turkish foreign minister’s upcoming visit to Brussels point in this direction.
This is “the only way for us to have a situation which is a win-win situation,” Stano said.
The EU and Turkey are partners in many fields, so “we need an environment of constructive dialogue to be able to move forward our relations for the benefit the people of the EU and Turkey,” he added.
Stano also welcomed exploratory talks between Turkey and Greece, set to resume on Jan. 25 after a five-year break, to solve their bilateral disputes.
Last Saturday Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a videoconference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is expected to visit Brussels on Jan. 21.
After a year of ups and downs in Turkish-EU ties, Turkish leaders have said they hope for progress in ties this year, and expect the EU to take steps towards this end.
Turkey has been an official candidate for EU membership since 2005, but for years progress towards its accession has been stalled.
Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/eu-aiming-for-win-win-approach-with-turkey/2111533
Absence of an EU-Turkey strategic partnership undermines regional security
Date: 14/01/2021
The European Council summit in December 2020 presented an opportunity for Brussels to formalise a strategic partnership with Turkey to manage the crises in the Eastern Mediterranean, Syria and Libya. Instead, it exposed divergence between France and Germany over how the EU should confront Ankara’s assertive foreign policy. Whilst French President Macron is in favour of putting strong pressure on Turkey’s President Erdogan, German Chancellor Merkel believes that it is vital to remain open to dialogue. This lack of strategic clarity puts regional security at risk given the importance of Turkish cooperation with Brussels over handling common issues in irregular migration and local conflict.
Why is Turkey crucial to EU interests?
Although Germany and France disagree over the response to the Eastern Mediterranean issue, Turkish cooperation remains vital for advancing EU security interests.
Firstly, the displacement of civilians as a result of conflict in the Middle East and North Africa region means that Turkey holds a strategic position in managing the issue. This can be seen in the 2016 deal that saw Ankara agreeing to protect Syrian refugees, implement border security and share information in return for EU financial assistance. The agreement delivered on its objective as irregular migration decreased by 97% two years after it was put into effect.
EU-Turkey coordination on the issue of migration is becoming increasingly important given the socio-economic pressures that the pandemic has put on the wider population in tandem with the escalation of hostilities in Idlib. Keeping dialogue open between Brussels and Ankara will therefore be critical to containing the crisis near Turkey’s southern border.
Secondly, in the area of regional conflict, although Erdogan’s intervention in Libya led Macron to accuse the Turkish president of increasing the terrorist threat in Europe, it strengthened the position of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).
This may be seen as a positive development for the EU neighbourhood given the far from stable situation in Libya since the Franco-British intervention in 2011. According to a report on the UK’s Libya strategy by the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, North Africa witnessed a spread of weaponry and the growth of Isis despite the fall of the Gaddafi regime.
For all its potential to diminish EU influence, it is not unreasonable to suggest that it would be in Brussels’ interests to recognise the stabilising role Ankara plays in the region.
Lack of strategic clarity strengthens Erdogan and leaves the EU weak in meeting regional challenges
The European Council conclusions on the Eastern Mediterranean, whilst still trying to balance diverging French and German positions, leaves the EU unable to pursue a coherent strategy and thereby puts it on the backfoot when it comes to advancing its core interests.
This can be seen in the minimal impact that the threat of sanctions proves to have on changing Ankara’s decision-making. The cut in European Investment Bank (EIB) funding in infrastructure development did not deter Erdogan’s ambitions in Cyprus and Libya. And it is unlikely that adding more Turkish officials or organisations to the list of those currently with travel bans and asset freezes will alter calculations since the case of the EIB drop in funding lacked credibility.
Notwithstanding the loss of Turkey’s main lender in the EIB, it was not expected that private sector projects and EIB deals of around €350m would be affected. So while sanctions may serve as a Franco-German compromise, this approach only strengthens Erdogan and leaves the EU without much leverage.
The dysfunctional EU-Turkey relationship poses a wider risk to regional security. On irregular migration, the German EU rotating presidency missed the opportunity to revisit the 2016 deal with Ankara and manage the situation in northern Syria. The focus of the new migration pact instead was on settling misgivings that some member states held over mandatory relocation of asylum seekers from Greece.
Turning to Libya, Brussels also found itself unable to lead an initiative with Turkey to resolve the issue. The Berlin Conference, a summit that the EU hoped would form the basis of a political solution to the crisis, failed to deter the United Arab Emirates from providing military support to GNA opposition in Haftar’s Libyan National Army and left Ankara free to intervene on behalf of the UN-backed government.
Although Turkey is key to the process of EU neighbourhood stabilisation, Brussels’ lack of strategic clarity towards its relationship with Ankara means that the EU will struggle to meet regional policy challenges while allowing Erdogan to pursue his geopolitical agenda on his terms.
Greece wants EU to make Turkey take 1,450 migrants denied asylum
Date: 14/01/2021
Under an essentially-suspended 2016 swap deal, Greece has asked the European Commission and border agency Frontex to require Turkey take back 1,450 migrants denied asylum, being held on four islands near Turkey’s coast.
Some 995 are on Lesbos, another 180 on Chios, 128 on Samos and 187 on Kos, the ministry said, a smidgeon of more than 34,000 on five islands and another 66,000 in mainland detention centers and camps.
In 2020, only 139 returns took place, because Turkey stopped the process on March 15 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The refugees and migrants had gone to Turkey fleeing war, strife and economic hardships in their homelands and human traffickers were being allowed to keep sending them to Greek islands.
“Today the conditions for the restarting return procedures towards Turkey are ripe. During the last 10 months, by accelerating the asylum procedures and by implementing extensive testing and anti-Covid-19 health protocols, Greece is ready to safely return migrants who are not entitled to international protection back to Turkey,” the ministry said.
Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis said, “Greece consistently implements a strict but fair migration policy. Giving international protection to those who are entitled to stay, but at the same time returning – with safety and dignity – those who do not meet that criteria,” said Kathimerini.
That has been disputed by human rights groups, volunteers and activists who have alleged inhumane conditions in the camps and centers and treatment of some, especially minors.
“The separation of refugees from economic migrants who have entered Greece illegally is a matter for the Asylum Service and the Appeals Authority. Both have dramatically increased their effectiveness during 2020,” he added.
Mitarakis also called on Turkey to “step up its efforts” under the Joint Statement. “First, to prevent the passage of boats departing from its shores bound for our country and European Union. And second to accept the return of migrants, on the basis of the EU-Turkey Joint Statement, but also, on the basis of existing bilateral readmission agreements.”
There was no mention of claims from Turkey and critics, including in major media reports, of Greece allegedly pushing back refugees and migrants in rubber dinghies and rickety craft into the Aegean and whether Frontex aided and hid that. Source: https://www.thenationalherald.com/archive_general_news_greece/arthro/greece_wants_eu_to_make_turkey_take_1_450_migrants_denied_asylum-1577322/
Absence of an EU-Turkey strategic partnership undermines regional security
Date: 14/01/2021
The European Council summit in December 2020 presented an opportunity for Brussels to formalise a strategic partnership with Turkey to manage the crises in the Eastern Mediterranean, Syria and Libya. Instead, it exposed divergence between France and Germany over how the EU should confront Ankara’s assertive foreign policy. Whilst French President Macron is in favour of putting strong pressure on Turkey’s President Erdogan, German Chancellor Merkel believes that it is vital to remain open to dialogue. This lack of strategic clarity puts regional security at risk given the importance of Turkish cooperation with Brussels over handling common issues in irregular migration and local conflict.
Why is Turkey crucial to EU interests?
Although Germany and France disagree over the response to the Eastern Mediterranean issue, Turkish cooperation remains vital for advancing EU security interests.
Firstly, the displacement of civilians as a result of conflict in the Middle East and North Africa region means that Turkey holds a strategic position in managing the issue. This can be seen in the 2016 deal that saw Ankara agreeing to protect Syrian refugees, implement border security and share information in return for EU financial assistance. The agreement delivered on its objective as irregular migration decreased by 97% two years after it was put into effect.
EU-Turkey coordination on the issue of migration is becoming increasingly important given the socio-economic pressures that the pandemic has put on the wider population in tandem with the escalation of hostilities in Idlib. Keeping dialogue open between Brussels and Ankara will therefore be critical to containing the crisis near Turkey’s southern border.
Secondly, in the area of regional conflict, although Erdogan’s intervention in Libya led Macron to accuse the Turkish president of increasing the terrorist threat in Europe, it strengthened the position of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).
This may be seen as a positive development for the EU neighbourhood given the far from stable situation in Libya since the Franco-British intervention in 2011. According to a report on the UK’s Libya strategy by the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, North Africa witnessed a spread of weaponry and the growth of Isis despite the fall of the Gaddafi regime.
For all its potential to diminish EU influence, it is not unreasonable to suggest that it would be in Brussels’ interests to recognise the stabilising role Ankara plays in the region.
Greece seeks to send 1,450 migrants back to Turkey
Date: 14/01/2021
Greece is pushing to return 1,450 people currently in migrant reception centres on Lesbos and other Aegean islands to Turkey, Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said on Thursday, calling on Ankara to respect asylum agreements with the European Union.
Mitarachi said Greece had submitted a request to the European Commission and EU border agency Frontex for the immediate return of the migrants, who he said had arrived from Turkey and whose asylum applications had been rejected.
The move comes ahead of a planned resumption of talks to resolve longstanding territorial disputes between Greece and Turkey following months of tensions between the two NATO allies in the Aegean.
Migrant returns to Turkey, under a 2016 EU-Turkey agreement, largely dried up last year due to the coronavirus crisis. But Mitarachi said conditions were now in place for them to resume thanks to new technology and COVID-19 testing procedures.
“We expect Turkey to step up its efforts … First, to prevent the passage of boats departing from its shores bound for our country and European Union. And second to accept the return of migrants,” Mitarachi said.
He said most of the 1,450 individuals slated for return were on the island of Lesbos, where a fire last year destroyed the main camp housing irregular migrants, while others were on the islands of Kos, Samos and Chios.
Hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees used Greece as their entry point to Europe through Turkey in 2015 and 2016, until the deal between Ankara and the EU reduced the flow across the Greek and Turkish land and sea borders.
Turkey hosts more than three million refugees and migrants, many from neighbouring Syria, while tens of thousands are waiting in Greece for asylum applications to be processed, mostly in camps where conditions have been described as dire.
President Erdoğan: We are ready to put our relations with the EU back on track
Date: 12/01/2021
Erdoğan met with the Ankara ambassadors of EU countries at the Çankaya Mansion.
“Just as our country’s 60-year-long candidacy process is our strategic choice, the EU’s acceptance of Turkey as a full member will be an ontological choice for the future of the Union” told Erdoğan to the ambassadors.
He added, “The update on the Customs Union should be implemented in a way that considers the changing realities of the migration issue and that adds trust and acceleration to our relations. The uncertainty that increased with Brexit can only be resolved with Turkey taking its rightful place in the European family. It is in our hands to transform the EU-Turkey relations into a success in 2021. With the guidance you will give to Brussels and your governments, we are expecting your support in turning over a new leaf with Turkey-EU relations”. Source: https://tr.euronews.com/2021/01/12/cumhurbaskan-erdogan-ab-ile-iliskilerimizi-yeniden-ray-na-oturtmak-icin-haz-r-z
Turkish FM says the EU has ‘over-politicised’ accession negotiations
Date: 12/01/2021
The EU has “excessively politicised” the negotiations between Ankara and Brussels, Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told EURACTIV’s partner EFE in a written interview, calling on the bloc to take a more positive approach.
He reiterated his country’s wish to join the EU, shortly before meeting his Spanish counterpart, Arancha González Laya last Friday in Madrid.
Has your country lost interest in joining the EU?
Certainly not. EU membership remains a strategic priority for Turkey. We want to enhance our relations with the EU in line with our membership perspective. As president Erdoğan recently underlined, we want to build our future together with the EU.
When the question is asked in the right way, about 80% of Turks believe that EU membership is useful for Turkey and supports the accession process. On the contrary, the EU has excessively politicized our accession negotiations and allowed member states to abuse solidarity with other members against Turkey for their domestic and foreign policy objectives. This approach is unfair and unrealistic.
We want to revitalize our accession process. So far, we have demonstrated in a concrete way our principled approach to diplomacy, dialogue, reduction of tensions and resumption of contacts. Instead of pushing Turkey further away, the EU should take a more positive approach and keep Turkey’s membership perspective open. Turkey’s accession to the EU may appear to be a challenge for some. However, once completed, it will be the most valuable of all.
After the EU Summit in December, there is a window of opportunity for a positive agenda in Turkey-EU relations. We continue to do our best to seize this opportunity. But Turkey’s unilateral efforts will not be enough. The EU should also encourage its members to take a more positive and constructive approach.
In addition to being a candidate country for negotiations since 2005, Turkey is at the same time a key strategic partner of the Union. Our relations are important not only for both sides (…) In the current situation, revising the EU-Turkey Declaration of 18 March (2016) on migration in its entirety should be a common priority for both Turkey and the EU.
As agreed by President Erdoğan, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, on 9 March 2020 in Brussels, we must renew the Declaration by strengthening Turkey’s EU perspective, starting the process of modernizing the Customs Union, revitalising dialogue and high-level summits, promoting visa liberalization for Turkish citizens, and improving cooperation in managing irregular migration and fighting terrorism.
EU has priority in Turkey’s agenda, Erdoğan says, reiterating new era with bloc
Date: 10/01/2021
Ankara has opted for a new beginning in ties with the European Union in the new year and continues to send positive messages to overcome disagreements that have been roadblocks between the two allies for the past few years in the relationship. The two strategic allies have been on a bumpy road with different stances on several issues, including the Eastern Mediterranean tensions, Turkey’s role in Syria, the migrant crisis and the stalemate in Turkey’s accession process to the bloc. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in his latest message on Saturday once again said Turkey prioritizes the EU in its agenda and sees its future in Europe.
The remarks came during a videoconference with the head of the European Commission to discuss Turkey-EU relations. Erdoğan and Ursula von der Leyen discussed ways to develop relations between Turkey and the EU and addressed regional developments, Turkey’s Communications Directorate said in a statement.
Erdoğan told von der Leyen that the EU is highly important in the nation’s plans moving forward. He reiterated that Turkey sees its future in Europe.
He also pointed out the importance of resuming regular Turkey-EU summits and high-level dialogue.
Turkey wants to open a new page in relations with the EU in the new year, Erdoğan said, adding that the interaction with the EU in 2020 was unproductive due to the whims and artificial problems that some EU members produced, according to the statement.
He added that the situation is unsustainable, not only in terms of future relations but also in terms of the broad common geography.
Following several years of deteriorating relations between Ankara and Brussels due to several issues, Turkish officials have recently offered warm messages to the EU for beginning a new era.
Turkey hopes to turn a “new page” with the EU and wants to build its future with the bloc, Erdoğan said last month during the highest-level contact with a European official since Brussels decided on sanctions in early December.
“While Turkey hopes to turn a new page with the EU, some ceaselessly try to provoke crises,” Erdoğan told European Council President Charles Michel in a telephone call.
Erdoğan called for rescuing Turkish-European relations from “this vicious circle,” adding that he hoped to “start again” in talks with the EU “on a basis of mutual interests.”
On another occasion, Erdoğan stated in late December that 2021 will be a year of foreign policy for Turkey, as he urged all European countries and the U.S. to start with a clean slate in the new year.
…
In Saturday’s videoconference, Erdoğan added that updating the 2016 migrant deal would be the first step toward a positive agenda on Turkey-EU relations.
In March 2016, Ankara and Brussels signed an agreement to reduce the number of migrants taking the dangerous Aegean Sea route to Europe and to find a solution for the influx of migrants heading to EU countries.
Under the deal, Turkey was promised 6 billion euros ($6.77 billion) in financial aid, which was initially designed to be given to the country in two stages and to be used by the Turkish government to finance projects for Syrian migrants. Visa freedom for Turkish citizens was also a perk of the agreement. Besides, the customs union between Turkey and the EU was to be updated.
In exchange for these promises, Turkey took responsibility for discouraging migration through the Aegean Sea by taking stricter measures against human traffickers and improving the conditions of Syrian migrants living in Turkey. Despite significant developments controlling migration traffic, the EU has not delivered on its commitments stated in the deal.
Erdoğan pointed out that 2021 offers an opportunity for a more productive environment with new cooperation in the field of migration.
The president also said the customs union agreement between Turkey and the EU should be updated, Turkish nationals should be allowed visa-free travel within the Schengen area, and steps should be taken in talks on Turkey’s EU accession.
The Customs Union is a trade agreement between the EU and Turkey. The agreement came into effect on 31 December 1995, following a 6 March 1995 Decision of the European Community–Turkey Association Council to implement a customs union between the two parties. Goods may travel between the two entities without any customs restrictions. The Customs Union does not cover essential economic areas such as agriculture, services or public procurement.
…
Von der Leyen, for her part, said on Twitter: “Good exchange with Turkish President @RTErdogan. We exchanged on the #COVID19 situation, the economic recovery and the implementation of tasking of the European Council of December 2020.”
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, also in another tweet said that the EU stands ready to continue working on dialogue with Turkey, and he looks forward to welcoming Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Brussels.
The top Turkish diplomat is expected to hold talks with Borrell on Jan. 21.
On Friday, Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey is working to write new chapters in its relations with the EU.
“In 2020, because of some of the problems that we experienced with some member countries, there have been occasional tensions in our relations with the EU, which is not a situation that we wish,” Çavuşoğlu said in a press conference with his Spanish counterpart, Arancha Gonzalez Laya, in the Spanish capital Madrid.
“But, with the approach of Spain and some other countries, rather than tension, the dialogue has been opted for, and the most recent summit prepared the groundwork for this,” he added.
In another message from Ankara, Faruk Kaymakçı, deputy foreign minister and director for EU affairs, told Daily Sabah late December that Turkey hopes to normalize its ties with the European Union in 2021, following a year when tensions have characterized international relations.
In the upcoming year, the country aims to promote win-win relations, to find a fair solution to the Eastern Mediterranean crisis, to update the March 18 statement with all of its dimensions, including migration, carrying out reforms and bringing Ankara closer to the bloc, Kaymakçı said.
Top Turkish diplomat looking for progress in EU ties
Date: 10/01/2021
In a visit with EU leaders set for later this month, Turkey’s top diplomat is looking to talk with an eye on results.
“Looking forward to visiting Brussels for a sincere and result oriented dialogue,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Twitter in response to a tweet by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
Cavusoglu is expected to visit Brussels, the de facto EU capital, to hold talks with Borrell on Jan. 21.
On Saturday, Borrell tweeted after taking part in a “useful” videoconference call on Turkish-EU relations between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission.
“We stand ready to continue working on dialogue with Turkey,” he wrote. “I look forward to welcoming Mevlut Cavusoglu in Brussels to pursue the tasking received by leaders at EUCO [European Council meeting] in December.”
After a year of ups and downs in Turkish-EU ties, including a push by some member states to impose sanctions on Turkey over bilateral issues, Turkish leaders have said they hope for progress in ties this year, and expect the EU to take steps toward this end.
Turkey has been an official candidate for EU membership since 2005, but progress towards its accession has been stalled for years.
Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/top-turkish-diplomat-looking-for-progress-in-eu-ties/2104888
Turkey aims for positive agenda with EU, lauds Spain’s stance on East Med: FM Çavuşoğlu
Date: 09/07/2021
Turkey will pursue a positive agenda, dialogue and diplomacy in its relations with the European Union, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Friday, noting that Ankara appreciates Madrid’s constructive stance toward the Eastern Mediterranean conflict.
…
Çavuşoğlu also pointed to the fact that “the fight against illegal immigration, which has become a global issue, is among our common challenges with Spain.”
He noted that Turkey has lent a helping hand to 3.6 million Syrians that had to flee the destruction in their country and is the country hosting the highest number of refugees in the world.
“Turkey also continues to be the most generous country in the world regarding humanitarian aid. Additionally, Turkey has fulfilled its obligations under the March 18 statement and has hindered migration toward Europe to a large extent,” Çavuşoğlu stressed, saying that the EU, however, has not fulfilled its obligations.
Turkey and the EU signed an agreement on March 18, 2016, to stem the influx of refugees to Europe. Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe since the beginning of the civil war in Syria. With the agreement, irregular arrivals decreased by a large extent, saving the lives of many of those who would have attempted the treacherous journey by sea.
According to the deal, Turkey was promised 6 billion euros in financial aid, which was initially designed to be given to the country in two stages and to be used by the Turkish government to finance projects for Syrian migrants. Visa freedom for Turkish citizens was also a perk of the agreement. In addition, the customs union between Turkey and the EU was to be updated.
“It is pleasing to see that Spain, which is among the leading countries supporting Turkey’s EU membership process, is aware of Turkey’s strategic and global key role as well as the contribution it would make to the EU in the fields of security, migration, economic dynamism and young population,” Çavuşoğlu concluded.
Dynamic foreign policy awaits Turkey in 2021
Date: 09/01/2021
Anticipation of ‘positive agenda’ with EU
Despite a tense period in EU-Turkey ties last year — partly due to the escalatory behavior of some member countries — the two sides are expected to share a “positive agenda” in 2021.
EU Council President Charles Michel and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are set to visit Turkey, with the main issue up for discussion being the 2016 migration agreement, visa liberalization and updating of the Customs Union Agreement.
Turkey, which seeks to become a full member of the union as one of its strategic goals, has declared it would in the near future undertake reforms, which might contribute positively to relations with the bloc as Turkish-EU ties are expected to gain momentum in the new year.
As for developments during the past year in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey still favors a fair solution to the ongoing dispute in the region surrounding energy drilling rights; Brussels and Ankara are still working for a multilateral conference to tackle these disputes.
In another positive move, Turkey in late 2020 limited activities of one of its drilling vessels, the Oruc Reis, to the gulf its southern province Antalya.
Amid recent tensions in the region, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration increased pressure on other EU members to impose sanctions on Turkey during the EU leaders’ summit Dec. 11.
Turkey, which has the longest continental coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, has rejected maritime boundary claims of Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration and stressed that the excessive claims violate the sovereign rights of both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots.
Ankara has sent several drill ships in the recent weeks to explore for energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, asserting its own rights in the region, as well as those of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Turkish leaders have repeatedly stressed that Ankara is in favor of resolving all outstanding problems in the region through international law, good neighborly relations, dialogue and negotiation.
Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/dynamic-foreign-policy-awaits-turkey-in-2021/2103799
Greece pushes innocent migrants to their deaths as Europe watches, interior minister says
Date: 07/01/2021
Greece continues to push innocent migrants back to their deaths as Europe watches, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu wrote on Thursday, adding that irregular migrants attacked by Greek coast guards or left at sea are rescued by Turkish authorities.
“We strongly condemn Frontex (the European Border and Coast Guard Agency) and the European Parliament for ignoring this inhumane treatment that stands every day,” Soylu shared on Twitter along with footage of irregular migrants in an inflatable boat being approached by Greek authorities.
In the video, a Greek coast guard is seen pushing the migrants toward Turkish territorial waters, rather than rescuing them, before leaving the area.
The stranded irregular migrants are then rescued by the Turkish coast guard.
One of the migrants described the ordeal, saying: “We spent three hours in the boat. We have reached Greece, we saw a Greek boat. We thought that they can help us, we called for help.”
Saying the Greek boat arrived and began to follow the migrants at sea, she said: “Then they took our engine and told us ‘go back, go back.’”
Several media reports, including German weekly Der Spiegel and videos published by Turkey have provided evidence of Frontex guards working with Greek authorities to push migrants back to Turkish waters.
Migrant rights agencies have warned that the arrivals, many of them fleeing conflict, have the right to asylum but are put in danger by the border guards’ aggressive tactics.
Pushbacks are considered contrary to international refugee protection agreements. Under the principle of “non-refoulement,” people should not be expelled or returned to a country where their life and safety are threatened due to their race, religion, nationality or being members of a social or political group.
Numerous reports by journalists, researchers and witnesses have cataloged the way in which migrants and asylum-seekers have been forced back across the border to Turkey or left stranded in the Aegean Sea without aid by the Greek coast guard, despite the conservative government’s denials in Athens.
Turkey and Greece have been key transit points for migrants aiming to cross into Europe, fleeing war and persecution to start new lives.
Turkey, which hosts nearly 4.5 million migrants, has also accused Greece of large-scale pushbacks and summary deportations without access to asylum procedures, which is a violation of international law. It also accuses the EU of turning a blind eye to what it says is a blatant abuse of human rights.
Frontex head Fabrice Leggeri, grilled by members of the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee at the end of November, said no evidence had been found of “active, direct or indirect” Frontex involvement in pushbacks. Only the host member state (Greece) could decide what had to be done, he added. Some members of the Parliament supported the work of Frontex, but one group, the Socialists and Democrats, called for Leggeri’s resignation.
Greece rejects the accusations, saying they protect the borders of the EU in line with international law. International nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) reported at least 300 pushback incidents by Greek security forces in 2020.
Meanwhile, the Turkish coast guard stated on Twitter that two Greek coast guard vessels, which pushed back irregular migrants, entered Turkish territorial waters on Wednesday and swiftly pushed back.
The statement added that the friction between a Turkish and Greek boat occurred as four Turkish coast guard boats tried to block the Greek’s maneuvers.
“Greek elements that know no limits in violating international law and continuously pushing back irregular migrants toward Turkish territorial waters, this time have been driven out of our territorial waters they violated,” it said.
Deputy Interior Minister Ismail Çataklı on Tuesday during a monthly press briefing shared that the Turkish coast guard had rescued 12,655 people from the seas in 2020, 11,493 of whom were irregular migrants.
Turkish and Syrian Entrepreneurs come together at the Migration and Entrepreneurship Project
Date: 02/01/2021
News Centre – Migration and Entrepreneurship Hackathon, “Migathon”, will bring together Syrian and Turkish entrepreneurs at an online event on January 8-10.
The event will be organised as part of the “Enhancing Entrepreneurship Capacities for Sustainable Socio-Economic Integration (ENHANCE)” project that is funded by the European Union and run by the Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology Directorate of Development Agencies in collaboration with ICMPD (International Centre for Migration Policy Development).
Potential entrepreneurs will discuss and develop their ideas related to technology in groups at the online event. The aim of the event is to facilitate the collaboration between Turkish and Syrian entrepreneurs in designing products and services that will be of value in national and international markets. The candidates will receive consultancy on technological start-ups during the event.
November 2020
No serious EU sanctions against Turkey expected, experts say
Date: 30/11/2020
Despite rising tensions between Turkey and the European Union, some experts argue that the EU leaders’ summit on Dec. 10-11 will not lead to any substantial sanctions against Ankara and the bloc’s possible exclusionary policies targeting the country would work against the union itself.
While some circles think that the upcoming summit will be a “breaking point” in bilateral relations, political experts say this perspective alone does not reflect the truth and the EU would not risk losing Turkey.
According to Enes Bayraklı, the European studies director of the Turkish think tank Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), although the EU and Turkey have had some disputes, they should work to strengthen their ties through cooperation.
The current international political environment makes cooperation a must for both sides, Bayraklı said, noting that neither has the luxury of turning its back on the other.
He went on to say that the December summit might result in some “symbolic” decisions against Ankara, adding it was unlikely that the European pact would adopt significant sanctions. The Turkish expert said the discourse on the so-called “breaking point” was just a tool used to put psychological pressure on Ankara.
Some members, including France, Austria, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, want to corner Turkey and impose sanctions, she noted, but there are also other nations sharing bilateral ties and common interests with Ankara.
According to Nurşin Ateşoğlu Güney, an academic in the International Relations department of Istanbul-based Nişantaşı University, the EU will not cut its ties with Turkey for multiple reasons, including economic and security concerns, as excluding Turkey would not work in the favor of European leaders.
‘Mankind’s greatest peace project needs Turkey,’ says Ambassador
Date: 30/11/2020
Of all Turkey’s strained relations in recent years – its disputes with the United States, conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean and military confrontations in Syria and Libya – the most significant and impactful has probably been its link with the European Union. Relations between Turkey and Europe will be scrutinised and discussed at the next EU summit on 10 December. In anticipation that Turkey will be a divisive issue on the agenda, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week called on the EU to respect its promises of cooperation with Turkey. “We don’t see ourselves elsewhere but in Europe,” he stressed.
Building a future with Europe has been a key objective of Turkey for the five decades that it has sought membership of the bloc. This has continued under Erdogan’s premiership and presidency despite the numerous obstacles that have threatened the process.
A key figure in this, as well as a top advisor of the then Prime Minister Erdogan, has been Turkish diplomat and politician Egemen Bagis. As Turkey’s chief negotiator with the EU and Minister of EU Affairs until 2013, Bagis played a pivotal role in his country’s accession talks and was the main point of contact between Ankara and Brussels.
In an interview at the Turkish Embassy in Prague last week, Bagis called the EU “the grandest peace project in the history of mankind.” When asked why, he said “When you look at the history of EU member countries you see a lot of wars, bloodshed, animosity, hatred and tears,” he explained. “The most amazing thing about the EU is that no member of the EU has fired even a single bullet towards another EU member in the history of the organisation.”
This, though, has not stopped the bloc’s members from firing on non-EU countries and vice versa. For Bagis, this means that, “We have to turn this peace project… into a global peace project.”
Turkey looks to be a hub for energy resources flowing to the West, and its recent discovery of over 450 billion cubic metres of gas reserves in the Black Sea will help. It also aims to utilise the strategic Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), which last month announced that it was ready to begin operations and deliver gas directly from Azerbaijan to Europe for the first time.
With this increased involvement in the regional energy market and the demand for non-Russian gas, as well as the assistance in security and migration control that his country can provide, Bagis asserted that cooperation between the EU and Turkey is not a luxury. “It’s a necessity.”
Three Syrian entrepreneur women in Istanbul: “We are not a burden, we add value”
Date: 29/11/2020
The research conducted by International Migration and Refugee Association[1] refuted the widely held claim that “migrants are a burden to the state and the society”. According to the report, migrants do not constitute a burden but they contribute to the economy.
In the research, 346 enterprises were interviewed 47 of which were run by women. The news article tells the story of three women migrant entrepreneurs who started their businesses in Turkey after fleeing the Syrian Civil War: Abir Alluş who runs a textile workshop, Hind Akil who owns a language centre, and Nur Aburashed who has a beauty salon.
Turkey to maintain humanitarian foreign policy in 2021
Date: 29/11/2020
Turkey will continue to implement an entrepreneurial and humanitarian foreign policy in the field and at the table in 2021, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Saturday.
Cavusoglu comments came during a presentation on the ministry’s budget and structure as well as foreign policy goals and priorities at the Plan and Budget Commission of Parliament.
Turkey allocated more than 5.7 billion Turkish lira (more than $738 million) for central and abroad representations of the ministry to carry out duties and responsibilities.
A budget of 787 million lira is allocated for the EU Presidency, including 698 million for participation in the National Agency and European Union (EU) programs and 42 million for the Turkish Accreditation Agency, according to the presentation said.
Below are important points related to our project from Cavusoglu’s presentation:
- For Turkey, which is among the founding members of the Council of Europe and the Organization of Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), EU membership constitutes a strategic goal. Turkey is committed to the completion of membership negotiations but voices its expectation that the EU should see the value Turkey would add to the bloc and political obstacles that hinder the relationship be removed.
- Being under heavy pressure of immigration because of its geographical location, Turkey expects the EU to fulfil the March 18, 2016, EU-Turkey Statement and Action obligation.
- Turkey questions Greece’s human violations such as push-back and mistreatment of the refugees on international platforms.
Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkey-to-maintain-humanitarian-foreign-policy-in-2021/2059336.
Refugees in Turkey are pushed into ghettoization in absence of integration policies
Date: 27/11/2020
The majority of Turkish society is resisting accommodating refugees, and migration policies are ineffective in integration, which is pushing refugees into ghettoization and causing social division, according to Professor Murat Erdoğan of the Turkish-German University Center for Migration and Integration.
Speaking before the Turkish parliament’s Migration and Integration Committee, Professor Erdoğan said although Turkey was accepting a large number of refugees, the country lacked a comprehensive policy for establishing integration and social cohesion. The problem has become more pronounced as the number of Syrian refugees entering Turkey has grown to 4 million since 2011.
Erdoğan advised that Turkey needed to revise its migration and border policies keeping in mind that arriving refugees are concentrating in specific cities and neighborhoods. “This means that half the city does not know they exist, while the other half is irritated by the large numbers of refugees in their neighborhoods,” he said.
He noted that local administrations had a great deal of responsibility for handling such ghettoization. “Refugees are a sociological fact in Turkey, and even if the war in Syria ends they will not return, so we need to implement effective policies to accommodate refugees,” Erdoğan said.
He stressed that Turkey’s borders were porous, resulting in a great deal of irregular migration. “Yes, there is an ongoing war in Syria, but we also see a lot of migrants coming from other countries, especially from the Iranian border. We cannot allow such a free pass into Turkey without thinking about integration.”
He added that most refugees were left to take care of themselves without any proper guidance: “We need to use the potential these people have to offer. Most Turks are ‘othering’ Syrians, and this is causing irreversible damage. We cannot allow refugees to be excluded from the labor market.”
Professor Erdoğan pointed out that even in the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), 80 percent were against granting refugees political rights or work permits, arguing that refugees have become a “burden” to the country.
An estimated 3.6 million refugees have been granted temporary protection in Turkey. The majority of them live outside camps, in precarious and challenging circumstances.
The Turkish Red Crescent conducted a survey in 2018 which showed that most Syrian refugees were employed in irregular jobs that came with low wages as well as poor working conditions and exploitation. According to the survey this was especially true concerning female and child workers.
The increasing social tension has also been reflected in how refugees, and especially Syrian refugees, have been represented in the Turkish media.
According to the “Hate Speech and Discriminatory Discourse in Media 2019 Report[2],” published by the Hrant Dink Foundation, Syrian refugees in Turkey were the second most targeted group in the Turkish media, with 760 hate speech items. According to the report they were systematically coded as criminals, murderers and thieves who posed imminent security problems including terrorism. Syrians were also represented in the media as the reason for the current adverse economic situation in Turkey and rising unemployment numbers.
EU border agency Frontex director ‘aware of illegal refugee pushbacks’
Date: 27/11/2020
Further investigation by Der Spiegel on its initial report on Frontex knowing about refugee “pushbacks” show agency director was aware of at least one violation.
European border security agency Frontex’s director Fabrice Leggeri has been aware of systematic refugee “pushbacks” from Greece to Turkey in the Aegean Sea.
In a “Serious Incident Report”, Frontex officials have recorded incidents violating fundamental rights, incidents that implicate their own border officials, German Der Spiegel news website reported[3].
Spiegel said Leggeri was aware of at least one violation, accusing him of trying to cover up for Frontex.
A Frontex document shows Leggeri was informed on May 8 about some 30 refugees who were dragged from Greece into Turkish waters by Greek border guards on the night of April 18 – an incident observed by the EU border agency.
Results of an investigation released on October 23 by Lighthouse Reports, Bellingcat, Der Spiegel, ARD and Asahi TV revealed the border agency’s role in several pushbacks which experts say is likely illegal.
A video from a June incident allegedly showed a Frontex boat blocking a refugee boat.
A mutual “migration” letter from Greece, Spain, Italy and Malta to the EU
Date: 25/11/2020
Greece, Spain, Italy and Malta have sent a mutual letter to the European Council about the New Migration Pact.
In the letter, the four countries stated that the rules governing the entry of migrants and refugees are not solely the responsibility of the countries of first entry.
The letter pointed at the need to clarify collaboration rules between countries for burden-sharing. It also suggested that an efficient readmission system should be implemented.
Turkey failing in migrant and refugee rights
Date: 24/11/2020
“Migration and Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) 2016-2020 Turkish Report Panel” organized by
Istanbul Bilgi University Centre for Migration Research took place online on Monday November 23rd. Turkey’s policies on migrants’ integration between the years 2016-2020 have been evaluated within the framework of the MIPEX database of 52 migrant-receiving countries. Turkey scored 43 out of 100, which shows that even the half point has not been reached in migrants’ integration.
Migrants’ and refugees’ integration into the labour force has been recorded to be inadequate. Also their political integration has been claimed critically negative as Turkey has not made any progress in this area and migrants and refugees are cast outside political participation, cannot vote or join a political party.
The family unification score has also dropped from 61 in 2014 to 53 this year. The evaluators also reported problems in terms of migrants’ and refugees’ legal rights. One of the evaluators, Dr. Neva Öztürk said, “In this issue, we also need to consider the lack of the sharing of international protection responsibilities by the international community. We don’t observe positive rearrangements that aim for integration in our legislation. With this note, Turkey is making efforts for progress”.
Source: https://www.gercekgundem.com/guncel/232258/turkiye-gocmen-haklarinda-sinifta-kaldi
Şentop, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey: Turkey is not supported enough in dealing with the migration issue
Date: 24/11/2020
Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Mustafa Şentop, spoke at the conference organized by GNAT and Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons.
Şentop said, “With our strong institutional infrastructure and comprehensive legislative system, we have been providing all kinds of fundamental services to refugees including health and education services even during the pandemic. Still, 600 thousand Syrian children have access to free education in our country. 40 billion dollars have been spent for refugees so far. However, I must sadly express that we are witnessing the indifference of many countries – primarily the EU members – in the face of the migration crisis. We see that Turkey, which has been protecting migrants and refugees in the best possible way, is not supported enough by European countries in dealing with the migration issue.”
He added, “Unfortunately, among the vulnerable groups who are impacted by Europe’s refusal of taking responsibility, the most affected ones are migrant and refugee children. There are dreadful reports prepared by NGOs and international organization including the UN, on the number of migrant and refugee children who get lost after reaching Europe. Because there are currently no efficient mechanisms to track and protect children who get lost during the migration journey and because European countries could not establish a strong cooperation, this issue has turned into a significant human rights problem.” Source: https://www.dha.com.tr/politika/meclis-baskani-sentop-turkiye-goc-sorununda-yeterince-desteklenmiyor/haber-1799771
Turkey calls on EU to understand its ‘mistakes’
Date: 24/11/2020
Turkey expects the European Union to acknowledge its mistakes and understand the value Turkey’s membership will bring to the bloc, the country’s foreign minister said on Tuesday.
“We expect the EU to acknowledge its mistakes and understand the value that Turkey’s membership will add to the union. In that case, we believe that a more productive relationship can be established for both parties,” Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told the Turkish Parliament’s Planning and Budget Commission in the capital Ankara.
Çavuşoğlu stressed that developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean affect Turkey’s relations with the EU.
Some member countries bring their bilateral problems with Turkey to the EU, he said, adding that those countries were wearing “a so-called ‘membership solidarity mask” and using it against the country.
Turkey, in all its EU contacts, stresses its desire to engage in a constructive dialogue, Çavuşoğlu also noted.
Over the past week, Ankara has offered an olive branch to Europe as an opportunity to repair the recently strained bilateral ties, calling on the EU to do its part by fulfilling its promise to Turkey of full membership to the bloc.
“We see ourselves as an inseparable part of Europe, with which we share 600 years of historical bonds,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a live speech Sunday.
Addressing members of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) for provincial congresses via videoconference, he called on the EU to keep its promises.
“We are calling on the EU to create a closer bond with us, to keep their promise of full membership for Turkey,” he said.
Turkey-EU ties have been at odds recently, as the conflict of interests over multiple topics caused tension between the two sides. The disagreement over the Eastern Mediterranean has, in particular, occupied bilateral relations for months now.
There has been increased friction between Turkey and its Eastern Mediterranean neighbors, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, over offshore energy exploration rights in the past few months. Turkey, the country with the longest coastline on the Eastern Mediterranean, has sent drillships with a military escort to explore for energy on its continental shelf, saying that Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) also have rights in the region.
EU leaders had agreed on Oct. 2 to give Turkey until early December before considering economic sanctions, and Germany, which has so far led diplomatic talks with Ankara, wants to give dialogue a chance because of close EU-Turkey trade ties.
Source: https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/eu-affairs/turkey-calls-on-eu-to-understand-its-mistakes
Erdoğan emphasizes refugees at G-20 Summit
President Erdoğan attended the online G-20 summit, and he said “Turkey has been hosting the most number of refugees in the past 6 years”. He added, “We should grow the financial resources to increase humanitarian aid towards people who have been affected by the war and who are at risk”.
Date: 22/11/2020
Source: https://www.yenicaggazetesi.com.tr/erdogandan-g-20de-multeci-aciklamasi-317322h.htm
Turkey’s reform era to benefit politics, foreign policy: Presidential spokesperson
Date: 22/11/2020
Turkey’s new era of reforms in the economy and judiciary will considerably contribute to politics and foreign policy, according to the Turkish presidential spokesperson.
“It will make our work flow faster both at home and abroad. This will have many positive effects on economy, politics, society, and foreign policy,” İbrahim Kalın told news channel NTV on Nov. 21.
Kalın reminded that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on Nov. 13 a new period of reforms, saying that the new steps will raise the standards for democratic rights and freedom of people.
He also stressed that protecting the balance between security and freedom is essential.
“This is a very sensitive balance. Not so easy, as well,” he said.
“Turkey is the only NATO member which simultaneously fights three terror groups,” he noted, highlighting the great fight the country launched against terrorism.
Kalın said one also has to think about the security of life and property, as well as border security and migration, along with all these issues, and added: “But none of these mean that freedoms and democracy are restricted or eliminated.
“Taking steps to maintain balance marks a period that will make us free, democratic, and safe.”
Erdogan calls on EU for dialogue, says Turkey’s future in Europe
Date: 21/11/2020
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the European Union for dialogue, warning the bloc not to become a “tool for enmities” during escalating tensions over the Eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey’s deployment of a vessel to search for natural gas in waters claimed by Greece set off a fierce war of words between Ankara and EU member states, who early this month extended sanctions against Ankara for another year.
The measures included allowing visa bans and asset freezes against individuals involved in contested gas exploration in the Mediterranean.
“We expect the EU to keep its promises, not to discriminate against us or at least not to become a tool to open enmities targeting our country,” Erdogan said in a video address to his ruling party congress on Saturday.
“We don’t see ourselves elsewhere but in Europe,” he added. “We envisage building our future together with Europe.”
Hours after Erdogan’s address, Ankara extended its mission in the Eastern Mediterranean until November 29, despite protests from Athens.
EU leaders are to decide in a December summit whether to impose further sanctions over Turkey’s recent activity.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/21/erdogan-calls-on-eu-for-dialogue-says-turkeys-future-in-europe
“Migration and Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) 2016-2020 Turkish Report Panel” will take place on November 23rd
Date: 20/11/2020
The panel is organized by Istanbul Bilgi University Centre for Migration Research and it will take place online on Monday November 23rd.
The panel will explore questions such as “Which areas should be prioritized to be more inclusive in our national law and policies regarding social integration in our country?”, and “How does Turkey rank in terms of integration policies on basic rights, security and equal opportunities compared to EU countries and the 52 countries that receive migrants and refugees?” Source: https://tr.investing.com/news/markets/goc-ve-entegrasyon-politikalar-ndeksi-mipex-20162020-turkiye-karnesi-paneli-23-kasmda-duzenlenecek-2055027
UN: Refugee resettlement is at an ultimate low
Date: 19/11/2020
UNHCR reported[4] that due to the current pandemic, only 15,425 refugees have been resettled to third countries in the past year, which is the lowest number in the recent past.
Last year, these numbers were 50,086. In the announcement, UNHCR called nations to resettle more refugees in 2020 in order for migrants to not lose the chance to be resettled and to have more quotas in 2021 for resettlement.
Turkey’s behaviour “widening its separation” from EU, Borrell says
Date: 19/11/2020
Turkey’s rhetoric on Cyprus is aggravating tensions with the European Union and Ankara must understand that its behaviour is “widening its separation” from the 27-nation bloc, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday.
“We consider the recent actions and statements by Turkey related to Cyprus contrary to the United Nations resolutions and further igniting tensions,” Borrell told a news conference after a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
“We consider that it is important that Turkey understands that its behaviour is widening its separation from the EU … In order to return to a positive agenda, as we wish, will require a fundamental change of attitude on the Turkish side.”
He was referring to comments by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who called for an equal “two-state” solution in Cyprus during a visit earlier this week to the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north of the island.
Erdogan also said Turkey and Northern Cyprus would no longer tolerate what he called “diplomacy games” in an international dispute over rights to offshore resources in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey is an official candidate for EU membership.
Cyprus has been split along ethnic lines since a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup. Only Ankara recognises Northern Cyprus as an independent state and it has no diplomatic relations with the government of Cyprus, which is a member of the EU.
Cyprus called Erdogan’s visit “provocative and illegal”.
The EU has threatened to impose sanctions on Turkey over illegal exploration at sea when its leaders meet next month.
“Time is running, and we are approaching a watershed moment in our relationship with Turkey,” Borrell said.
The EU has failed to persuade Ankara to stop exploring in waters disputed by Greece and Cyprus, but it has so far held off imposing sanctions that Athens and Nicosia are seeking.
Germany, which has led diplomatic talks with Ankara, wants to give dialogue a chance because of close EU-Turkey trade ties.
Incident at Refugee Admission Centre
Date: 18/11/2020
Refugees at Kofinou, Cyprus reacted against being moved to Tersefanou to be quarantined after 16 refugees have been diagnosed with the coronavirus. The police and action forces intervened at the scene.
After the incident has been suppressed, 12 out of 16 refugees were taken to Tersefanou.
Source: https://www.yeniduzen.com/multeci-kabul-merkezinde-olay-133908h.htm
France will suggest sanctions against Turkey at the EU Summit
Date: 18/11/2020
With increasing tensions between Turkey and France regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Islam-Secularism debates on top of disputes about Syria, Libya, East Mediterranean, the caricature and the radical Islamist terror attacks, France is now preparing to suggest imposing economic sanctions against Turkey at the EU Summit that will take place on December 11th at Brussels.
As a guest at the program organized by C News, the economy magazing Les Echos and Europe 1 Radio, The Minister of State for European affairs of France, Clement Beaune, said, “For 10-15 years we have believed that Turkey had the ideas of sympathetic modernization and democracy like Christian Democrats, but that is not true. What is going on in Turkey is a cultural and geopolitical Islamism in every area”. He also added that individual sanctions against the Turkish president are also being discussed.
After stating that Germany is strongly opposed to cancel the Customs Union Agreement with Turkey, Europe 1 said, “Beyond diplomatic and economic difficulties, Turkey holds the control of the migration flows coming from the Middle East. This makes Turkey stronger while confronting with the EU”.
Source: https://www.amerikaninsesi.com/a/fransa-ab-zirvesinde-turkiyeye-yaptirim-onerecek/5667315.html
Deputy Foreign Minister Kıran: The state of the refugee camps in Greek islands is a humanitarian disaster
Date: 17/11/2020
Emphasizing that the treatment towards refugees is a disturbing issue, Deputy Foreign Minister Kıran stated, “The state of the refugee camps in Greek islands is a humanitarian disaster. In addition, we are deeply concerned about Greek officials pushing refugees back to our territory. Only this year, more than 7 thousand asylum seekers and refugees were push back by Greece”.
Kıran addressed the visitors at the Vienna Migration Conference. He pointed out that Turkey is in a very critical region. He said, “There are countries in our region with significant political and social problems. We are at the crossroads of the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe. Our burden is not limited to the humanitarian tragedy in Syria. We also need to confront and manage other conflicts in our region. Ultimately, Turkey has become the country that hosts the most number of refugees in the past 6 years. We are actively responding to the needs of 4 million refugees in our lands. Our expenses for the refugees have exceeded 4 billion dollars”.
He added that the pandemic has increased the burden on Turkey: “We have recorded a significant increase in the movement into our country in the past couple of months. We have exceeded our capacity and we cannot take on another migration crisis. Therefore, we need to re-evaluate our migration strategy by taking the pandemic into consideration. We need to prioritize the following issues: First, the international community needs to understand that the strategy to stop migration flows from transit countries is an efficient one. Hosting countries need to receive the necessary help to keep the migration flows sustainable. The international community should help these countries to increase their capacity to solve problems. We also need to solve political and social issues leading to the migration crisis. This both means to take on responsibility to provide help and to be committed to solving problems in reasonably and peacefully. We are doing our part in this sense”.
“We have provided help to 156 countries and 9 international organizations during the pandemic. Turkey has become the second biggest country in the world to be an aid donor. We also provide medical help to the refugees. In my opinion, it is significant to be a role model to encourage other countries to share the burden. However, no country can deal with this problem alone. Migration is a global issue and it requires efficient international collaboration. All stake-holders, primarily the EU, should support international efforts. I believe that the most important missing link is a migration policy that considers the underlying reasons behind migration. In addition, it is crucial that migrants and refugees are provided the means to return to their homes safely and voluntarily. Voluntary return is the most preferrable and sustainable solution to this problem. We should increase global and regional efforts for this. It is very important for us that Syrians return to their home country safely.”
EU-Turkey relations at historical low point – European Parliament report
Date: 14/11/2020
Turkey’s “continuous and growing distancing from European values and standards” has pushed the country’s relationship with the European Union “to a historical low point, having deteriorated to such an extent that it requires both parties to profoundly reassess the current framework of relations,” said the European Parliament (EP) in a draft report.
The draft of the EP’s 2019-2020 Commission Reports on Turkey[5], published on Wednesday, stated an aim of strengthening relations between Turkish and European societies, combatting prejudice, and “supporting Turkey’s independent civil society in whatever circumstances and framework of relations that the future may bring”.
“The accession process would still be the most powerful tool to exercise normative pressure on the Turkish government and the best framework to sustain the democratic and pro-European aspirations of Turkish society,” it said, stressing that “a purely transactional relationship will hardly contribute to the advancement of Turkey towards a more democratic model”.
The EP is deeply worried about the “disregard by the Turkish judiciary of European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings and the increasing non-compliance of lower courts with the judgments of the Constitutional Court,” it added.
According to the report, despite previous calls by the EP for the formal suspension of accession negotiations with Turkey, the European Council has offered the country a “renewed and broad positive agenda,” to once again try and restore the relations with Europe.
The report mentioned Turkey’s lack of commitment to implementing EU reforms, and expressed deep concern over the backslide of the rule of law and fundamental rights, Turkey’s recent regressive institutional reforms, and the country’s confrontational foreign policy as well as a growing anti-EU narrative.
“No incentive that the EU could offer can ever replace the much-needed political will to build a mature democracy,” it said, adding that the situation in Turkey had “far from improving, deteriorated even further.” The EP “firmly” insisted on the formal suspension of negotiations as suggested in last year’s report, so both sides could assess whether the current framework was functioning, or “explore possible new models for future relations”.
The EP “regrets the current lack of understanding between the EU and Turkey,” the report said, “but reaffirms its firm conviction that Turkey is a strategic neighbour and ally with which the EU wishes to have the best possible relations”.
The impact of the post-coup state of emergency between 2016 and 2018 continues to be felt on fundamental rights and democracy, according to the report, and the EP “deeply regrets that this repressive form of rule has now become a deliberate, relentless, systematic state policy”.
Such repression extends to “any critical activities,” the report said, citing Kurdish activism and the Gezi protests of 2013, and adding that Turkey’s anti-terror laws were both overly broad, and being abused to implement such policies.
The EP condemned the pressure placed on judges, prosecutors, lawyers and bar associations, while expressing serious concern over arbitrary curtailing of freedom of expression, press freedom and access to information.
The report condemned violence by the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), which has been on the EU’s terror list for 18 years, while also condemning the continued detention of Selahattin Demirtaş, former co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HPD), and the “specific and continuous” targeting of the party as opposition parties are pressured, undermining “the proper functioning of a democratic system”.
EP called on Turkey “to release all imprisoned human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, academics and others” detained on “unsubstantiated charges,” and mentioned philanthropist Osman Kavala by name, as the prominent civil society figure remains behind bars despite an ECHR ruling and his acquittal of several charges against him.
There is a vibrant, plural, engaged and heterogeneous civil society in Turkey still, in spite of the massive political crackdown, and it represents one of the few remaining checks on the Turkish government, the report said.
Source: https://ahvalnews.com/turkey-eu/eu-turkey-relations-historical-low-point-european-parliament-report
Refugee boat sunk: 74 refugees died
Date: 12/11/2020
A boat going to Europe broke down near Libya and sunk into the Mediterranean. 74 refugees died and 47 of them were rescued by the Coast Guard and fishermen. Source: https://halktv.com.tr/multeci-gemisi-batti-74-multeci-hayatini-kaybetti-439157h
Another lifeboat sunk in the Mediterranean: 6 people died including a baby
Date: 12/11/2020
In the rescue operation at the Mediterranean Sea, 110 refugees were rescued but 6 of them died one of which was a baby.
Frontex’s air patrols noticed the lifeboat near Libya in the morning, and Open Arms teams reached the area. The lifeboat was split in half during the operation, causing 6 people to die and 4 to be seriously injured.
Source: https://www.acikgazete.com/akdenizde-bot-batti-1i-bebek-6-multeci-oldu/
Assad blames West for hindering return of refugees to Syria
Date: 11/11/2020
DAMASCUS, Syria — The Syrian government is working to secure the return of millions of refugees who fled war in their country, but Western sanctions are hindering the work of state institutions, complicating those plans, President Bashar Assad said Wednesday.
His comments came at the opening session of a Russia-organized two-day international conference in Damascus on the return of refugees. The event is being boycotted by many Arab and Western countries and has been criticized by the U.N. and the U.S. who say the time is not ripe yet for the return of refugees. They insist the first priority should be to make it safe for people to go back to the war-torn country.
Assad’s forces have recaptured much of Syria, with the backing of his allies Russia and Iran, which helped tip the balance of power in his favour. But large areas remain outside government control, mainly in the north near the border with Turkey. The conflict that began with anti-government protests in March 2011 as part of the region’s Arab Spring, quickly morphed into a civil war.
Tuesday’s conference was held in a giant hall with participants, most of them wearing masks, observing social distancing because of the coronavirus. Many countries were invited but only 27 agreed to participate, including neighbouring Lebanon and Iraq which host large numbers of Syrian refugees, according to state TV.
Neighbouring Turkey, a main backer of Syrian opposition forces, was not invited. Another neighbour, Jordan, which also hosts Syrian refugees, did not participate.
President Erdoğan: We are hoping for the EU to recover from their strategic blindness
Date: 09/11/2020
President Erdoğan gave a speech at the Ambassadors Conference.
As part of his speech he said, “With our presence in Idlib, we had prevented another tragedy and a big migration flow. We host 4,5 million refugees. We take care of another 4,5 million in Syria. There is no other country in the world that does anything similar, only Turkey. No one who says that they stand by the poor and vulnerable takes any action. The representatives of capitalism, the ones who are rich do nothing close to what Turkey does, which is taking the humanitarian step. Beside our presence on the field, we continue to search for political solutions for Syria’s territorial integrity and political unity”. Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/turkiye/cumhurbaskani-erdogan-abnin-stratejik-korlukten-bir-an-once-kurtulmasini-umit-ediyoruz/2037176
EU: Probe Frontex Complicity in Border Abuses
Date: 09/11/2020
(Brussels) – The top governing body of the European Union Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) should urgently establish an independent inquiry into allegations of its involvement in unlawful operations to stop migrants from reaching the European Union (EU), Human Rights Watch said today.
The agency’s board will hold an extraordinary meeting on November 10, 2020. Frontex should also address serious and persistent violations by border and law enforcement officers of the countries where it operates.
“The fact that Frontex may have become complicit in abuses at Greece’s borders is extremely serious,” said Eva Cossé, Western Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The Management Board of Frontex should quickly open an inquiry into Frontex involvement in – or actions to disregard or cover up – abuses against people seeking protection from conflicts and persecution.”
On October 23, a group of media outlets published a detailed investigative report[6] alleging Frontex involvement in pushback operations at the Greek-Turkish maritime border, in the Aegean Sea. The reports said that asylum seekers and migrants were prevented from reaching EU soil or were forced out of EU waters. Such pushbacks violate international law, Human Rights Watch said.
Source: https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/11/09/eu-probe-frontex-complicity-border-abuses
Lifeboat carrying refugees sunk in the Aegean Sea
Date: 09/11/2020
The lifeboat carrying refugees who were attempting to reach Island Samos from Turkey sunk on Sunday. A 6-year old child died; 17 refugees were rescued and 7 refugees reached the shore by swimming.
On the other hand, UNHCR reported[7] that there has been a significant decline in the number of people trying to reach Greek islands from Turkey this year. They announced that the number of refugees who entered the Greek islands was 9,247 by Nov 1st, 2020, while this number last year was 52,553.
Source: https://gazetekarinca.com/2020/11/egede-multecileri-tasiyan-tekne-batti/
Austria Foreign Minister: Turkey will not be an EU member for the next 30 years
Date: 08/11/2020
Austria Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg stated that Turkey will not be an EU member state for the coming thirty years. He said, “As the EU, we are open to discuss any suggestions that help us show Turkey the red lines”.
In the interview he gave to Die Welt, he stated, “Turkey is moving further away from the EU. As the EU Commission’s most recent report[8] also confirms, the Turkish government does not abide by the Copenhagen Criteria concerning the rule of law and human rights that are mandatory for EU membership”. He suggested that the two sides need to start working on a partnership agreement that suits the interests of both sides immediately instead of membership negotiations.
After being reminded of the words of Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party, regarding the abolishment of the customs union agreement between Turkey and the EU, he said, “I am glad that the awareness that we are at a crossroads with Turkey is increasing within the EU”.
Former UN Senior Advisor for Syria Jan Egeland complements Turkey for hosting refugees
Date: 05/11/2020
Former UN Senior Advisor for Syria and the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egelend said, “The leaders of Europe; you should look at how Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Liberia opened their borders and hearts for the asylum-seekers.”
He added that the European countries, which has the necessary resources to provide asylum for refugees and asylum-seekers should not place the burden on other countries.
Egeland also cited a study that looked into the countries that received the most refugees. The study highlighted that Turkey received up to 4.3 million refugees, more than any other country in the past decade, and also added that Turkey handled the refugee crisis better than Lebanon. Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/eski-bm-suriye-ozel-danismani-jan-egelanddan-turkiyeye-multeci-ovgusu/2033623
The 7th “Academicians’ Meeting for Harmonization” took place
Date: 04/11/2020
The 7th “Academicians’ Meeting for Harmonization” took place online as part of the collaboration between Directorate General of Migration Management Department of Harmonization and Communication and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The event encompasses 7 geographic regions in Turkey and the last meeting focused on the Marmara region. The General Director of Migration Management, Dr. Savaş Ünlü, stated, “Academic analyses, findings, the data you gather in the field are of utmost importance for us. I have complete faith in the information and knowledge you will share with us”.
The introductory speeches were followed by presentations on social harmonization. 65 migration scholars brainstormed about harmonization and discussed examples of good practice, observed impediments, and suggestions.
Source: https://www.haberler.com/7-akademisyenler-sosyal-uyum-bulusmasi-yapildi-13714006-haberi/
[1] http://www.im-ra.org/imra_rapor_tum_baski_metin.pdf
[2] https://stockholmcf.org/armenians-syrian-refugees-and-greeks-top-list-of…
[3] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/wie-frontex-chef-fabrice-leggeri-…
[4] https://www.unhcr.org/resettlement-data.html
[5] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/AFET-PR-659095_EN.pdf
[6] https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/oct/24/eu-border-for…
[7] https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/mediterranean/location/5179
[8] https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/sites/near/files/turkey_r…