Türkiye appeases EU on migration deal

(Baonghean.vn) - After meeting with European Union foreign ministers on September 3, Mr. Omar Celik - Türkiye's Minister in charge of the EU said that he will still implement the agreement with the EU even if the EU refuses to exempt visas for Turkish citizens.

Mr. Omar Celik met with EU foreign ministers in Slovakia on September 3. Photo: Daily Sabah.

Omar Celik's statement is a move to ease European concerns about the risk of a breakdown in the agreement between the two sides. According to Omar Celik, Türkiye will still try to prevent the flow of migrants to Europe. However, Mr. Celik also warned that expanding cooperation in solving the migration crisis in the future will depend on the EU meeting Türkiye's demands.

“The current mechanism is not enough to solve the migration problem, and we will need a new mechanism. But without a visa-free agreement, Türkiye will not negotiate to build this new mechanism,” Mr. Omar Celik declared.

Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini reiterated that the EU will only grant visa exemptions to Turkish citizens if the country meets human rights standards.

Mr. Celik said his meeting with EU foreign ministers ended with a high consensus from both sides to focus on positive steps in the coming time, promoting cooperation between the EU and Türkiye.

However, the meeting did not show any significant improvement in the tension between the two sides after the coup in Türkiye last July.

Türkiye is conducting a large-scale purge of many sectors and industries, including the media, arresting and firing many public sector employees and repeatedly mentioning the reinstatement of the death penalty. The EU considers these actions to be contrary to human rights regulations, affecting the EU's decision to grant visa-free travel to Turkish citizens.

During a meeting with European foreign ministers, Mr. Celik also expressed dissatisfaction that Europe had not shown strong support for Mr. Erdogan and Türkiye's democracy when the coup occurred. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier also admitted that the EU's response to the coup in Türkiye was insufficient in both form and level.

Diep Khanh

(According to ABC)