Agreement in Principle in Turkey-EU Summit, 2nd Meeting on March 18

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Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has held a press meeting with President of the EU Council Donald Tusk, and President of the EU Commission Jean-Claude Juncker following the Turkey-EU Summit held in Brussels.

Agreed principles

It has been stated that it has been agreed in principle but the sides will assemble another meeting on March 18.

Tusk has listed the principles agreed in as follows:

- Sending back the new irregular refugees going to Greece from Turkey.

- Accelerating the process of visa exemption

- Accelerating the allotment of 3 billion euros to be spent for Syrian refugees, and using additional funds

- Undertaking works to open new chapters in membership negotiations

- Looking for spaces in Syria that might be more secure, and resettling one Syrian from Greece in exchange for one Syrian to Europe.

Visa exemption is in June

Here are some headlines from Davutoğlu’s speech:

We as Turkey have demanded passing to exemption of visa earlier than planned because we have started to implement Readmission Agreement earlier. I am pleased to come to an agreement on implementing visa exemption at the latest in end June in the Netherland’s presidential term.

We are taking a bold decision that we will readmit undocumented, irregular immigrants going from Turkey. We are planning to do this in the belief that for each Syrian refugee Turkey will readmit from Greek islands, the EU will admit one from Turkey.

Davuoğlu emphasizing that a new aid package is required in addition to initial resource of 3 billion euros from the EU.

We want Turkey to integrate with the EU and believe it will create a new momentum in international area. The Syrian crisis has demonstrated us all that a much more advanced, much more integrated strategy is needed.

We will come together in the EU summit next week on March 18. This text of proposals has been prepared by us. Now we will work together until next summit. We will discuss how we can put these goals into practice.

Junkcer: We have agreed in principle

Juncker as well stating that they have come to an agreement in principle said, “This agreement that we have agreed in principle is a good choice and can be legally implemented. Nevertheless, more discussion is needed as to resettlements”.

Demands of Turkey

Let us move implementation of the Readmission Agreement to earlier than June 1, and may the EU move visa exemption of Turkish citizens to June 1.

- May an additional 3 billion euros be created to initial resource of 3 billion euros until the end of 2018.

- In exchange for each refugee Turkey readmits, may the EU retake one.

- May Greek islands be cleared of refugees.

- May negotiation process be accelerated.

- Costs of readmission process be met by the EU. (NV/TK)

Photo: Dursun Aydemir – Brussels/AA