[Istanbuller]

There will be meeting on these issues tomorrow between EU and Turkish diplomats.

Hot topics:

- There is a readmission agreement which will enable EU countries to send illegals and migrants back to Turkey if they leak from here.

- The EU is going pay 3 billion Euros to Turkey each year. So Turkey will keep illegals and refugees away from EU countries. Turkey has to build new refugee camps for this reason.

- If Turkey obeys the agreement, Turkish nationals will be able to enter every EU country without any visa in 2017.

- THE EU will restart Turkey talks and open new chapters for Turkey's EU bid.

- Cyprus issue will be talked and Greek Cyprus state demands Turkey to recognize it officially.

--------------------

They will turn Turkey into refugee shithole and will just pay 3 billion each year. This sounds not very good.

At least we will have visa- free regime so Turkish people can migrate to Europe and leave Turkey to migrants and refugees.

[Independent_Srpska]

Huh? No visa between EU and Turkey? Almost no borders for you...Congrats...if you manage to struck a no customs and free trade deal with the EU - it will be the same deal like between Turkey and ISIL...Turkey might open another trade line...new brand - "Cheap ISIS oil for European weapons"

[Istanbuller]

The main topic is migrant crisis and sending them to Turkey. They want to send all illegals, refugees to Turkey.

You are lucky that you country (Serbia) has no ties with the EU. What you have to do is just securing your border properly.

[Independent_Srpska]

Nah. As you could notice - we treat refugees with due respect. Until Syrian crisis Serbia was the country that accepted the most refugees in Europe (all the people fleeing from terror/mass murders/ethnic cleansing of the NATO's associates in ex-Yugoslavia. So, we know how miserable most of these poor refugees are.

Turkey, as one of the biggest ISIS supporters , is the main culprit for this mass migration of people fleeing from ISIS' terror, so if I was Merkel, I would offer you a slap in the face , not 3 billion a year.

[Bulaba Khan Jones]

With Turkey being a state sponsor of terrorism and a safe conduit for terrorists getting to and from Europe, I don't see how this is going to be a particularly good idea.

[Istanbuller]

I agree.

Turkey shouldn't let any of those regugees and migrants come back to Turkey. Refugees are your problem, not us.

You should integrate them to your own societies, not expecting from us to integrate them into Turkish society.

[Harmattan]

Turkey shouldn't let any of those regugees and migrants come back to Turkey. Refugees are your problem, not us.

See? Even you do not want Muslim immigrants.

In all seriousness, I respect the fact that you are defending your interests but we too will defend ours, as unfair as it may be for you. So if we can no longer return you those immigrants then we will simply build a wall between Europe and you (land wall + sea patrols), and this will largely halt your exportations and result in probably a few millions of lost jobs for you.

Besides you have been caught red-handed helping ISIS, your military maneuvers against Kurds are indirectly benefiting ISIS, Turkey can hardly be called a democracy any more, and you are now in danger of a conflict with Russia, who is not as nice as we are. I suggest you avoid further weakening your international position, as humiliating as it can be for you.

[Istanbuller]

I understand Europe's concerns, my French friend.

But you should stop blaming Turkey for things we did not do. Turkey and The EU should trust each other to cope with refugee and migrants waves. It is our common problem and we should solve it together.

Today Turkish PM said that Turkey will protect its borders like the way you do, our aim is to stop those refugee waves and make both Europe and Turkey livable places.

[Independent_Srpska]

ISIS is one of the main reasons why people are fleeing from the region.
Turkey is very user friendly towards ISIS. Turkey helps ISIS get food/weapons/logistics/information/safe heavens/etc.
Turkey is USA's puppet.
ISIS is USA's child.

NATO, ie. USA and some EU countries brought "democracy" to the region by arming and organizing enemies of states that are not aligned with USA/NATO/EU's policies (Libya, Syria, Iraq...you name it..)
Turkey is a member of NATO.


So, of course Turkey shares the guilt for refugee crisis.

The guilt is on all of destroyers of states and creators of ISIS: that is - USA and NATO countries.

[The Sabbaticus]

Just click on the link, the format of the article is lost in this thread.

Germans Opposed to Mass Migration are "Free to Leave"

by Soeren Kern
November 24, 2015 at 5:00 am



After factoring in family reunifications, the actual number of migrants could exceed 10 million, and some believe that Germany's Muslim population is on track to nearly quadruple to an astonishing 20 million by 2020.

N24 television news reports that up to 50% of the asylum seekers arriving in Germany have gone into hiding and their whereabouts are unknown by German authorities.

"It cannot be that offenders continue to fill the police files, hurt us physically... and there are no consequences. ... We are losing control of the streets." — Tania Kambouri, a German police officer.

"We are not excluding anyone, we are just trying to run a business. If we ignore the complaints of our female guests, we have to expect that many of our regular customers will stay away.... Financially, we do not know how long can we cope with this." — Thomas Greil, manager of the discotheque "Brucklyn," Bad Tölz, Bavaria.

"We are reproducing faster and faster. You Germans are not getting any children. In the best case you get two children. We make seven to eight children. Okay mate? And then we take four wives each, then we have 22 children. Maybe you Germans have one child and a dog. Huh? And that's it." — Video showing a Muslim threatening a German man openly on the street.

In Berlin, lawmakers are considering emergency legislation that would allow local authorities to seize private residences to accommodate asylum seekers. The proposal was kept secret from the public until November 9, when the leader of the Free Democrats (FDP) in Berlin warned the measure would violate the German Constitution. Berlin Mayor Michael Müller now wants to expand the scope for warrantless inspections to include "preventing homelessness."

"The same empathy we show for refugees we must show to our own people, the host society." — Mayor Ulrich Maly, Nuremberg.

Asylum seekers from Africa, Asia and the Middle East are continuing to pour into Germany in record numbers, despite freezing temperatures and snow.

More than 180,000 migrants arrived during the first three weeks of November, on track to surpass the previous monthly record of 181,000 migrants recorded in October.

With 300 newcomers now arriving every hour, Germany is expected to receive more than one million asylum seekers in 2015, and at least as many in 2016. After factoring in family reunifications, the actual number of migrants could exceed 10 million, and some believe that Germany's Muslim population is on track to nearly quadruple to an astonishing 20 million by 2020.

German voters are beginning to wake up to the true cost — financial, social and otherwise — of the migration crisis, but they apparently do not have much say about the future direction of their country. According to Walter Lübcke, the district president of Kassel, a city in state of Hesse, citizens who disagree with the government's open-door immigration policy are "free to leave Germany."

What follows is a brief round-up of recent developments, which offer a glimpse into Germany's future:

Matthias Lücke, senior researcher at the Kiel Institute of the World Economy (Institut für Weltwirtschaft, IfW), estimates that the migrant crisis will end up costing German taxpayers at least 45 billion euros a year, or more than four times the 10 billion euros forecast by the federal government. Lücke says tax increases are the only way to pay for this expenditure.

Gabriel Felbermayr, director of the Munich-based Center for International Economics (Ifo Zentrum für Außenwirtschaft), estimates that the migrant crisis will cost German taxpayers 21.1 billion euros this year alone. "This includes costs for housing, food, day care centers, schools, German language courses, training and administration," he said in an interview with Der Spiegel.

N24 television news reports that up to 50% of the asylum seekers arriving in Germany have gone into hiding and their whereabouts are unknown by German authorities. They presumably involve economic migrants and others who are trying to avoid deportation if or when their asylum applications are rejected.

In a bestselling new book, Tania Kambouri, a German police officer, describes the deteriorating security situation in Germany due to migrants who have no respect for law and order. In an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio, she said:

"For weeks, months and years I have noticed that Muslims, mostly young men, do not have even a minimum level of respect for the police. When we are out patrolling the streets, we are verbally abused by young Muslims. There is the body language, and insults like 'sh** cop' when passing by. If we make a traffic stop, the aggression increases ever further, this is overwhelmingly the case with migrants.

"I wish these problems were recognized and clearly addressed. If necessary, laws need to be strengthened. It is also very important that the judiciary, that the judges issue effective rulings. It cannot be that offenders continue to fill the police files, hurt us physically, insult us, whatever, and there are no consequences. Many cases are closed or offenders are released on probation or whatever. Yes, what is happening in the courts today is a joke.

"The growing disrespect, the increasing violence against police... We are losing control of the streets."

A video showing a Muslim threatening a German man openly on the street was posted on YouTube. The Muslim can be heard saying:

"I am telling you honestly, Islam will come to Germany, whether you like it or not. Your daughter will wear a headscarf (hijab). Your son will wear a beard. Okay. And your daughter will marry a bearded man.

"We are reproducing faster and faster. You Germans are not getting any children. In the best case you get two children. We make seven to eight children. Okay mate? And then we take four wives each, then we have 22 children. Maybe you Germans have one child and a dog. Huh? And that's it.

"Mate. This is not our fault, it is your fault. If you exploited our countries, colonized our countries, so that you can drive a Mercedes and use your digital camera, huh?

"So Allah (blessed be his name), the Almighty God, will make it so that we will conquer you. Not with war, here in Germany, but with birth rates, first and foremost. Secondly, we will marry your daughters. And your daughter will wear a Muslim headscarf. That is how it is. Now you can get really mad. I can see the hate in your eyes."

Another video shows hundreds of Muslims, some carrying the black flag of jihad, marching through the streets of downtown Hannover.

Amid a growing sense of insecurity, Germans are increasingly taking measures to protect themselves. Sales of pepper spray have skyrocketed by 600% during the past two months and stores across Germany are all sold out, according to the German newsmagazine Focus. Manufacturers say additional supplies will not be available for another six or seven weeks. "Manufacturers and distributors say the huge influx of foreigners in recent weeks has apparently frightened many people," according to Focus.

Wolfgang Wehrend, chairman of the Military Reserve Association (Reservistenverbandes) in North Rhine-Westphalia, called on the government to reinstate compulsory military service for all men and women in Germany aged 18 and over. "It is about the security of our country," he told the Rheinische Post. Germany formally ended conscription in July 2011. Wehrend said conscription could also be a way to promote integration:

"When young people work together as a matter of course in the army, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (Technischen Hilfswerk), the fire brigades, the relief and care services, people from different ethnic groups and religions may grow closer. At least there is a chance."

Meanwhile, the guardians of German multiculturalism unleashed a firestorm of criticism against Jürgen Mannke, director of the Teacher's Association of Saxony-Anhalt (Philologenverbandes Sachsen-Anhalt, PhVSA), after he advised underage female students to guard against "superficial sexual adventures" with Muslim asylum seekers. In the group's quarterly membership magazine, Mannke wrote:

"An immigrant invasion is inundating Germany. Many citizens are ambivalent about this. There is no doubt that it is our human duty to help people who are facing existential distress due to war and political persecution. But it is extremely difficult to distinguish these people from those who come to our country for purely economic or even criminal motives.

"If one examines the current images of the waves of refugees, one cannot overlook that many young, strong, mostly Muslim men have chosen to apply for asylum in Germany, because they find ideal conditions here, or so they think.

"Many of the men come here without their families or wives, and certainly not always with the most honest of intentions. From our ethical and moral perspective, women are not treated equally in Muslim countries and often are not treated with dignity. It is only natural that these young, often uneducated men also have a need for sex.

"Against the backdrop of their ideas about the role of women in their Muslim cultures, the question remains: how can they live out their sexuality or seek relationships in Germany without conflicting with the norms of our society?

"Already, we hear from conversations with acquaintances in many places about sexual harassment in their daily lives, especially on public transportation and in supermarkets. As responsible educators, we ask ourselves: How can we enlighten our young girls aged 12 and up so that they do not engage in superficial sexual adventures with often certainly attractive Muslim men?"

Mannke later apologized for his politically incorrect choice of words: "I hereby declare that I never intended to defame people of other religions, nations and cultures or to foment fear to serve nationalistic stereotypes or to generalize."

In Bad Tölz, a town in Bavaria, local politicians and the media branded the managers of the "Brucklyn" discotheque as "Nazis" and "racists" after they banned male migrants from the premises. German women had complained that the men were harassing them, even following them into the female restroom.

The club's manager, Thomas Greil, said he had no other option: he was concerned about the wellbeing of the female patrons. He said that after a group of 30 or 40 migrants arrived, native Germans left the club in droves.

In a statement, Greil said:

"We are not excluding anyone, we are just trying to run a business. If we ignore the complaints of our female guests, we have to expect that many of our regular customers will stay away for the short or long term, and we will incur a loss of sales. We have monthly costs of a five figure sum. Financially, we do not know how long can we cope with this. We are overwhelmed."

The culture-oriented radio station of the German national Deutschlandradio service, Deutschlandradio Kultur, interviewed Frank Künster, who has been a nightclub bouncer for more than 20 years. He said:

"It sounds racist, but groups of men from immigrant backgrounds just behave differently, especially towards women, and that is harmful to the club. You have to give the women space to feel comfortable. This is not the case when there are only men, many of whom want to grope female bums."

In Berlin, lawmakers are considering emergency legislation that would allow local authorities to seize private residences to accommodate asylum seekers.

The proposal — which would effectively suspend Germany's constitutional guarantee of private property — would authorize police forcibly to enter private homes and apartments without a warrant to determine their suitability as housing for refugees and migrants.

The legislation, proposed by Berlin Mayor Michael Müller of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), would amend Section 36 of Berlin's Public Order and Safety Law (Allgemeine Gesetz zum Schutz der öffentlichen Sicherheit und Ordnung, ASOG), which currently allows police to enter private residences only in extreme instances, to "avert acute threats," that is, to fight serious crime. Müller now wants to expand the scope for warrantless inspections to include "preventing homelessness."

The proposal was kept secret from the public until November 9, when the leader of the Free Democrats (FDP) in Berlin, Sebastian Czaja, warned the measure would violate the German Constitution. He said:

"The plans of the Berlin Senate to requisition residential and commercial property without the consent of the owner to accommodate refugees is an open breach of the constitution. The attempt by the Senate to undermine the constitutional right to property and the inviolability of the home must be resolutely opposed."

Since then, both the mayor's office and the Senate have remained silent about their plans.

Gunnar Schupelius, a columnist with the Berlin newspaper BZ, has investigated further. In a November 10 article, he wrote:

"A strange report made the rounds at the weekend: The Senate would authorize the police to enter private homes to house refugees, even against the will of the owner. I thought it was only satire, then a misunderstanding, because the Basic Law, Article 13, states: 'The home is inviolable.'

"So I went on a search for the source of this strange report and found it. There is a 'proposal' which the Senate Chancellery (Senatskanzlei) has apparently circulated among the senators. The Senate Chancellery is another name for the mayor's office. The permanent secretary is Björn Böhning (SPD)...

"The proposal is clear: The police can enter private property without a court order in order to search for housing for refugees when these are threatened with homelessness. You can do that 'without the consent of the owner.' And not only should the police be allowed to do this, but also the regulatory agencies.

"This delicate 'proposal' attracted little public attention. Only Berlin FDP General Secretary Sebastian Czaja spoke up and warned of an 'open preparation for breach of the constitution.' Internally, there should have been protests. The 'proposal' suddenly disappeared from the table. Is it completely gone or will it return?

"If the need is really this great, then Governing Mayor Michael Müller should come clean rather than prepare for secret and surreptitious intrusions into private homes.

"But Michael Müller is conspicuous by his absence. He has not addressed the crisis in the Senate. He also refuses to meet with citizens. Nor is he personally visiting the refugee shelters. He has gone into seclusion, from where he has declared that accommodating the refugees is his top priority."

Meanwhile, the German government wants to bring in even more migrants. Speaking at a meeting of the Social Democrats (SPD) in Berlin on November 12, German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel argued that Germany should bring in a "large contingent" of migrants in order to prevent human traffickers from profiting from the migrant crisis.

Gabriel apparently wants to airlift tens of thousands of migrants to Germany. "No one should die on the way to Europe, which must be our goal," he said. If other European countries refuse to participate in the plan, he said, "Germany should take the lead."

According to Gabriel, "What matters is not the number of people who come to Germany, but the speed at which they come." He added that the federal government should double the budget for building new housing for migrants.

Nuremberg Mayor Ulrich Maly countered: "The same empathy we show for refugees we must show to our own people, the host society."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel continues to double down on her open-door asylum policy. In a November 13 interview with the public broadcaster ZDF, Merkel responded to critics: "The Chancellor has the situation under control. I have my vision. I will fight for it."

Gatestone Institute

The Macedonians might have put up a razor wire in these last couple of days, but they're still coming.

In droves.

[noir]

Is he 68-er or post Nazi? You can't distinguish between them.

[The Sabbaticus]

Hours after EU deal, Turkey rounds up 1,300 migrants bound for Greece

Turkish authorities rounded up some 1,300 migrants on Monday that they said were planning to sail to Greece from hideouts near secluded Aegean beaches and forests, hours after striking a deal with the European Union on stemming refugee flows.

Turkish gendarmes apprehended hundreds of Syrians, Iraqis, Iranians and Afghans and three human traffickers, near the town of Ayvacik in Canakkale province, coastguard officials told Reuters.

In the largest operation of its kind in recent months, the migrants were sent to a repatriation center where some could face deportation, the officials said.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Sunday struck a deal with EU leaders to prevent migrants from traveling to Europe in return for 3 billion euros (dollars) in cash, a deal on visas and renewed talks on joining the 28-nation bloc.

A record 500,000 people fleeing a four-year civil war in Syria have traveled through Turkey then risked their lives to reach Greece in rickety boats this year, their first stop in Europe before traveling north.

Nearly 600 people have died on the so-called eastern-Mediterranean route, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Turkey is home to more than 2 million refugees as well as thousands of refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan.

(Writing by Ayla Jean Yackley and Yesim Dikmen; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Louise Ireland)

Reuters

Didn't someone in the Duma call for the use of nuclear weapons on Turkey? I'm kidding of course. In reality this is the doing of the Eurocrats. The Europeans are febrile and pallid creatures, unwilling to get their hands dirty, instead leaving it up to the Turks.

Which is of course most peculiar, seeing that Turkey is also a signatory party of the same human rights conventions, albeit opting out on a few clauses. You would think the European nations could apply a similar regime, what with the massive invasion of illegal immigrants inundating their countries, presenting an unparalleled security threat. Not to the mention the resulting social, cultural and economic havoc.

[Frollein]

Amid a growing sense of insecurity, Germans are increasingly taking measures to protect themselves. Sales of pepper spray have skyrocketed by 600% during the past two months and stores across Germany are all sold out, according to the German newsmagazine Focus. Manufacturers say additional supplies will not be available for another six or seven weeks. "Manufacturers and distributors say the huge influx of foreigners in recent weeks has apparently frightened many people," according to Focus.

Die Welt had an editorial on this last week: http://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/article14 ... Waffe.html (German link, google translate is your friend)

[The Sabbaticus]

Merkel accused of pandering to Erdogan



The European People's Party (EPP) has reiterated its opposition to EU membership for Turkey, despite the agreement that was reached on Sunday (29 November). EurActiv Germany reports.

The deal that was struck with Ankara in relation to providing aid to tackle the refugee crisis and reopening accession talks has done nothing to quell the scepticism of the conservative EPP.

"For us in the EPP, it is clear that we want a close partnership, but not full membership," Manfred Weber (CSU), the EPP's group leader, told Bavarian television on Monday (30 November).

Although supporting the financial pledge made by the EU, he called the decision to allow Turks visa-free travel a "bitter pill" to swallow.

>>Read: Putin and Erdogan in war of words at Paris conference

On Sunday evening (29 November), the EU and Turkey concluded talks that had been made necessary by the ongoing refugee crisis. Ankara committed itself to strengthening its land and sea borders, as well as stepping up its efforts against traffickers.

In return, the EU pledged €3 billion to be used exclusively to care for refugees, to remove the visa-requirement for Turkish travellers and to re-energise accession talks.

>>Read: Turkey stops refugees en route to Greek islands

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (FDP), Vice-President of the European Parliament, criticised the reopening of accession talks, given the civil and human rights situation in Asia Minor. It is not right that the EU have thrown their "values overboard" in dealing with the refugee crisis, the liberal politician said in a radio interview.

Lambsdorff accused the German Chancellor of kowtowing to the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Euractiv

Perhaps Merkel should cut down on her 'Adele'. More politicians should have openly derided this woman. The growing chorus of voices trouncing her plans are legion.

[noir]

Sabb, the plan to invite Turkey to EU is serious? What a great coup

[The Sabbaticus]

Erdogan needed a symbolic victory and Merkel and her cronies gave him that. In reality Turkey isn't going to be admitted any time soon, just as other forum members have said. Even if Germany would allow it, France wouldn't. The UK and Poland would object as well.

All the member states will have to sign on, including Greece. And their feud with the Turks runs deep. Even with feeble characters such as Tsipras bowing to the Troika, Greece will still end up demanding a great deal in exchange.

And the deal itself also spells out why Turkey wouldn't be allowed entry (in the near future). Turkey can get its hands dirty precisely because it isn't part of the EU.

[noir]

Turkey can get its hands dirty precisely because it isn't part of the EU.

Didn't someone in the Duma call for the use of nuclear weapons on Turkey?

Good to know. Can't remember when the world leaders were as childish and crazy as today.

[The Sabbaticus]

Hungary's Orban Says Germany Struck `Secret' Turkey Refugee Deal


December 2, 2015 — 11:32 AM CET
Updated on December 2, 2015 — 4:19 PM CET

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a staunch opponent of accepting refugees into the European Union, said Germany struck a “secret pact” with Turkey to take in as many as half a million people.

The initiative, which wasn’t part of a weekend agreement between Turkey and the EU on curbing the flow of refugees, may be announced by Germany within days, Orban told a forum of ethnic Hungarian leaders in Budapest on Wednesday. European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans dismissed reports of a covert deal as “nonsense.”

“Beyond what we agreed with Turkey in Brussels there’s something that doesn’t figure in the agreement,” Orban said. “We’ll wake up one day -- and I think this will be announced in Berlin as soon as this week -- that we have to take in 400,000 to 500,000 refugees directly from Turkey.”

Facing the biggest influx of refugees since World War II and reeling from the terrorist attacks in Paris last month, the EU over the weekend agreed to relaunch Turkey’s bid for membership in the bloc and offered a package of 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) to help finance refugee camps.
French Reaction

“France and Germany are working together to manage the flow of migrants, which is a challenge to everyone,” French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll told reporters in Paris on Wednesday. “Last weekend the union reached an agreement with Turkey,” and Orban should be aware of the details since he was there, Le Foll said.

A German government official, requesting anonymity because EU-Turkey talks are ongoing, said Orban’s claim that Germany made a secret deal is false.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker met with the leaders of eight member states on the sidelines of the EU-Turkey summit in Brussels, spokeswoman Mina Andreeva told reporters on Nov. 30 without disclosing details of the meeting. The EU commission agreed to prepare a framework for a “voluntary scheme” by Dec. 15, she said.

While some leaders, such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have insisted Europe must honor its asylum commitments and want EU members to accept refugees according to binding quotas, others such as Orban reject immigration by Muslims and sealed off their borders with fences. Merkel also confirmed after the Brussels summit that she had met with seven other EU leaders to discuss a plan to settle refugees from Turkey.

The plan to take in refugees from Turkey directly was also raised at a summit of EU leaders in Malta last month and was shelved after it became clear that some countries including Hungary were prepared to use their veto power to block it, Orban said.

“There’ll be tremendous pressure on us” and on other central European countries “that if somebody already agreed to this -- and to avoid causing a diplomatic tussle by naming the country I’m not going to say where Berlin is -- that we shouldn’t just take them in but distribute them according to binding quotas,” Orban said. “This nasty surprise is still waiting for Europeans.”

(A previous version of this story corrected the timing of Orban’s statement.)

Bloomberg

So basically Germany and Sweden are acting as trojan horses. They're inviting over massive amounts of illegal immigrants, which will then be spread across the Union through these binding allotment schemes. Allegedly in order to relieve the pressure on these countries.

But why would there be any pressure to begin with? They refused to patrol the Mediterranean. They refused to enact border patrols. They refused to call in the army to quell this massive security threat. They not only put out the welcome mat, but they also invited them in.

[Bulaba Khan Jones]

The EU is absolutely insane to even consider allowing Turkey to join it. What a bunch of morons.

[The Sabbaticus]

Another Turkey article? Come on! But consider the following. If Turkey fails to deliver, the Eurocrats are going to be very angry. At least they're going to feign outrage, which will give them ammunition for a whole host of painful manoeuvres against the beleaguered AKP state.

The Eurocrat whose name rhymes with Urkel will also find her coalition partners less welcoming to her overtures. This creature got on her knees before Sultan Erdogan. Her resentment might take on a personal dimension.

World | Thu Dec 17, 2015 11:32am GMT
Related: World, Middle East
EU sees little drop in migrants since Turkey deal - document
BRUSSELS | By Alastair Macdonald

The European Union has seen little evidence that Turkey has managed to reduce departures of migrants for Greek islands in the two weeks since it signed an agreement to do so, an EU document showed on Thursday.

The report by the Luxembourg government, in its current capacity as president of EU ministerial councils, said about 4,000 people a day arrived from Turkey since the accord on Nov. 29, a "slight reduction" from the 5,000-6,000 seen earlier in that month. But this was not necessarily due to Turkish action.

"This decrease may, however, also be attributed to other factors," said the report, seen by Reuters and sent to EU leaders ahead of a summit on Thursday in Brussels at which they will discuss efforts to stem the migration crisis.

A separate report on the functioning of the EU-Turkey action plan agreed with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Brussels has concluded that migrant arrivals from Turkey were "practically unchanged" in the two weeks after the signing from the two weeks preceding it, an EU official said.

EU border agency Frontex has said arrivals in Greece in all of November were 108,000, roughly half the figure for October, largely because weather conditions had deteriorated. The agency said about 5,000 crossed in the last week of November.

Davutoglu met German Chancellor Angela Merkel and some other leaders before the main summit on Thursday to discuss a possible scheme to bring Syrian refugees directly from Turkey to Europe.

But many EU leaders have stressed that any such move depends on seeing evidence that Turkey is working to prevent people smugglers putting people to sea to reach Europe. That is also true of disbursement of the 3 billion euros (2.2 billion pounds) they pledged to Ankara on Nov. 29 and other concessions, such as easing visa rules for Turks coming to the EU.

(Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Alissa de Carbonnel and Richard Balmforth)



Reuters