European Union makes Turkey cautious offer on accession talks: draft migration deal

On March 17-18, a final agreement between the European Union and Turkey is expected to be announced at the next EU-Turkey summit.

The EU is working toward a "good deal" with Turkey by using a "constructive approach" in dialogue among member states, Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders has said.

Davutoglu said the aim was to reduce illegal migration and make passage to Europe safe.

Germany, the main advocate of settling the refugee crisis and major destination for refugees, is nonetheless reluctant to discuss placing any upper limits on migration.

"But Mustafa Akinci, the moderate Turkish Cypriot leader, said Cyprus only stood to benefit from any attempt to bring Turkey closer to the bloc". Member states such as Greece, where arrivals are highest, are struggling to cope.

Timmermans said that a speeding up of membership talks would also be conditional on the position of all member states, each of which can stop any sizable progress.

"We are certainly not giving Turkey a free ride", the European Union official told a news conference. They believe that the EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan on refugees and migration management should be implemented immediately, but only as "part of a comprehensive cooperation agenda based on shared responsibility, mutual commitments and delivery".

"He might inspire the leaders on that day to come up with a good solution".

"The situation in Greece is the other, and it must be a big concern to us all because it is not without consequences for us all in Europe", Merkel said. Hundreds of migrants and refugees walked out of a...

Over a million people had tried to cross into Europe by the end of a year ago. "Impolite people like myself call that blackmail".

The new figures show how much Greece has borne the brunt of the influx.

Refugees who bypassed a border fence to enter Macedonia say Macedonian forces beat and gave them electric shocks before driving them back to Greece. About 12,000 are in the greater Athens area.

European Council President Donald Tusk on Tuesday emphasized his solidarity with Turkey in the aftermath of the Ankara bomb attack that killed 37 people, APA reports quoting Anadolu agency.

The EU denied yesterday that its planned deal to return all migrants who land in Greece to Turkey would break worldwide law, saying there would be no mass expulsions.

Chapters, including those on the judiciary and fundamental rights, are now blocked by the Greek Cypriot administration, which is holding talks with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to reunify the divided island.

But the country has attracted relatively few refugees and is concerned that the current Dublin system's legal structures should not be radically changed, while it proposed tougher enforcement of rules against refugees seen to be exploiting the system to avoid deportation and choose which country to live in. Paris on Tuesday insisted that Turkey will not be allowed to dictate terms at the summit.

Their desperation again became clear this week when some 1,500 made a dash across a river on the Greek-Macedonian border, only to be sent back to the muddy camps and tent cities on the Greek side.

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Source: European Union makes Turkey cautious offer on accession talks: draft migration deal