German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday she was pushing for the establishment of special security zones in Syria near the border with Turkey where refugees could find shelter.
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Reminding reporters that a considerable decline in illegal migrations in the Aegean sea has been documented following the EU-Turkey deal, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç said “the alleged violations in the Aegean airspace are caused by the problems related to the Aegean Sea”.
The trip to the border city of Gaziantep by Merkel, EU Council President Donald Tusk, EU Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, comes as many have questioned the legality of the March 20 EU-Turkey deal allowing for the deportation of migrants who do not qualify for asylum in Greece back to Turkey. Migrants who refuse to apply for asylum are to be deported to Turkey, in accordance with a tit-for-tat agreement between the European Union (EU) and Turkey on the refugee and migration crisis.
The EU has faced severe criticism over the deal, including from the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR, parliamentarians at the Council of Europe, opposition politicians in Germany and rights watchdogs.
“Our priority was to stop the baby Aylans from washing up on the shores, and we have made great strides in this aim”, Davutoglu said, in reference to drowned 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi, whose images helped galvanize world attention on the plight of the migrants.
Many in Europe had been watching closely to see if the delegation would take a stand against the deterioration of rights in Turkey.
One side of the bargain, used to sell the refugee deal to the Turkish public, was Turks winning quicker visa-free travel to Europe, a pledge that now could go unfulfilled, at least by the June deadline Prime Minister Davutoglu had wanted.
The Turkish leader said the European Union is launching initial projects worth €187m aimed at improving the conditions of refugees in Turkey.
Davutoglu also sought to dispel accusations from humanitarian organizations that the Turkish crackdown had forced Syrian migrants fleeing war to return home against their will. The government has also rejected claims that refugees attempting to enter Turkey illegally have been shot at by soldiers.
Tusk praised Davutoglu and his government, saying his visit to the camp had shown him that Turkey “is an example for the whole world on how we should treat refugees”. Impossible to predict where that will end, ‘ said Orban, who had himself supported the deal. “The safer the people feel the less urgent the need for them to leave their country”, Merkel added.
“On April 10, no refugee passed”, he said. “That should make them rethink the flawed EU-Turkey deal”.
Before the visit, Merkel announced that her key objective was to observe the living conditions of refugees in Turkey.
A poster depicting Merkel’s face and the words “Solidarity with the migrants”.
Merkel has drawn heat for allowing a German comedian to be prosecuted for a crude poem about the Turkish leader. I am proud that we are partners. Critics have complained she is sacrificing free speech in order to placate Turkey and not jeopardize the migrant deal.
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“What’s happening with respect to her position on refugees here, in Europe, she’s on the right side of history on this”, said Obama on his fifth and final official visit to Germany.
