Merkel’s Turkish migrant gamble
by Paul Taylor,
2016-03-11 05:52:27.0
BRUSSELS — For the second time since Europe’s migration crisis began last year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has stunned her European Union (EU) partners by staking her political capital on a unilateral initiative and demanding their support.
After rolling out the welcome mat in September for Syrian refugees streaming into Europe, to the alarm of many European leaders who were not consulted, she has now gambled on a last-minute deal with Turkey to stop the migrant flow.
Whether that tentative bargain will turn out to be a breakthrough or a landmine in the migrant crisis remains to be seen. Reaction at home to Ms Merkel’s Turkish gamble has been mixed. Bild newspaper welcomed the deal with the headline "Ball in Turkey’s court", but some of Ms Merkel’s own conservative MPs object to giving Turks visa-free travel in exchange.
German officials say it was Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu who surprised everyone by arriving at a meeting with Ms Merkel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in Brussels with a bold plan, offering to take back all migrants who cross into Europe in return for political and economic rewards.
Mr Davutoglu’s price was a doubling of European money to keep Syrian refugees in Turkey, faster visa liberalisation for Turks and accelerated EU membership talks for Ankara.
EU diplomats and officials in Brussels were flabbergasted by the proposal sprung on them at a summit on Monday, with some irritated at having been kept in the dark during the preparations.
Reuters
Migrant children stand in front of a tent at a makeshift camp on the Greek-Macedonian border on Thursday. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has staking her political capital on a unilateral initiative to resolve the migrant crisis. Picture: AFP PHOTO/DIMITAR DILKOFF
BRUSSELS — For the second time since Europe’s migration crisis began last year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has stunned her European Union (EU) partners by staking her political capital on a unilateral initiative and demanding their support.
After rolling out the welcome mat in September for Syrian refugees streaming into Europe, to the alarm of many European leaders who were not consulted, she has now gambled on a last-minute deal with Turkey to stop the migrant flow.
Whether that tentative bargain will turn out to be a breakthrough or a landmine in the migrant crisis remains to be seen. Reaction at home to Ms Merkel’s Turkish gamble has been mixed. Bild newspaper welcomed the deal with the headline "Ball in Turkey’s court", but some of Ms Merkel’s own conservative MPs object to giving Turks visa-free travel in exchange.
German officials say it was Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu who surprised everyone by arriving at a meeting with Ms Merkel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in Brussels with a bold plan, offering to take back all migrants who cross into Europe in return for political and economic rewards.
Mr Davutoglu’s price was a doubling of European money to keep Syrian refugees in Turkey, faster visa liberalisation for Turks and accelerated EU membership talks for Ankara.
EU diplomats and officials in Brussels were flabbergasted by the proposal sprung on them at a summit on Monday, with some irritated at having been kept in the dark during the preparations.
Reuters
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