January 2021
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.
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.
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.
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”.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.