EU cautious on chances of Turkey migrant deal

AFP, BRUSSELS:  European Union leaders voiced caution Thursday about the chances of clinching a deal with Turkey to curb the migration crisis, warning of a long list of difficult issues to overcome. The deal faces hurdles including threats by Cyprus to block Ankara’s demands for faster EU membership, and legal concerns over a plan to send all migrants who land in Greece, including Syrians, back to Turkey. A divided EU has pinned its hopes on a bargain with Turkey to cut off the main route for the 1.2 million asylum seekers who have landed in the bloc since January 2015, sparking the continent’s biggest migration crisis since World War II. The 28 EU leaders will thrash out their negotiating position in Brussels on Thursday before meeting Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday to push for a deal. “I am cautiously optimistic but frankly, more cautious than optimistic,” said European Council President Donald Tusk, warning of a “catalogue of issues” to resolve. “If we keep our cool we will achieve success,” he added. European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said that he was “fairly optimistic that we will reach an agreement” and that it would “of course respect European law and the Geneva Convention”. Juncker added that Russia’s recent military withdrawal from war-torn Syria could also stem the flow of refugees. Cyprus problem - German Chancellor Angela Merkel, facing a rise in populist parties at home who are angered by her open door policy to Syrian refugees, said this week the deal was the “first real chance” to end the crisis. The draft plan also includes visa-free travel for Turks to the EU and possibly doubling aid for Syrian refugees in Turkey to six billion euros ($6.8 billion). Fears the deal could be derailed by Cyprus’s tense relations with Turkey have seen both Tusk and Juncker hold talks with President Nicos Anastasiades in the run-up to the summit. Tusk also visited Ankara. Anastasiades opposes the opening of new “chapters” in the long-stalled EU membership application by Turkey, which refuses to recognise the Cypriot government on the island, divided since Turkish troops invaded the north in 1974. Tusk stressed in his summit invitation letter that parts of the deal which “re-energise” Turkey’s membership bid should also be “an opportunity to support the settlement talks in Cyprus. Only if this is possible, can we move forward here.”

EU cautious on chances of Turkey migrant deal

AFP, BRUSSELS: European Union leaders voiced caution Thursday about the chances of clinching a deal with Turkey to curb the migration crisis, warning of a long list of difficult issues to overcome. The deal faces hurdles including threats by Cyprus to block Ankaras demands for faster EU membership, and legal concerns over a plan to send all migrants who land in Greece, including Syrians, back to Turkey. A divided EU has pinned its hopes on a bargain with Turkey to cut off the main route for the 1.2 million asylum seekers who have landed in the bloc since January 2015, sparking the continents biggest migration crisis since World War II. The 28 EU leaders will thrash out their negotiating position in Brussels on Thursday before meeting Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday to push for a deal. I am cautiously optimistic but frankly, more cautious than optimistic, said European Council President Donald Tusk, warning of a catalogue of issues to resolve. If we keep our cool we will achieve success, he added. European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said that he was fairly optimistic that we will reach an agreement and that it would of course respect European law and the Geneva Convention. Juncker added that Russias recent military withdrawal from war-torn Syria could also stem the flow of refugees. Cyprus problem - German Chancellor Angela Merkel, facing a rise in populist parties at home who are angered by her open door policy to Syrian refugees, said this week the deal was the first real chance to end the crisis. The draft plan also includes visa-free travel for Turks to the EU and possibly doubling aid for Syrian refugees in Turkey to six billion euros ($6.8 billion). Fears the deal could be derailed by Cypruss tense relations with Turkey have seen both Tusk and Juncker hold talks with President Nicos Anastasiades in the run-up to the summit. Tusk also visited Ankara. Anastasiades opposes the opening of new chapters in the long-stalled EU membership application by Turkey, which refuses to recognise the Cypriot government on the island, divided since Turkish troops invaded the north in 1974. Tusk stressed in his summit invitation letter that parts of the deal which re-energise Turkeys membership bid should also be an opportunity to support the settlement talks in Cyprus. Only if this is possible, can we move forward here.