Euro MPs criticize agreement between EU and Turkey

Parliamentarians claim that agreement in exchange for help contain migratory flow gives too much power to Ankara. Critics point out that refugee crisis should not be confused with Turkey's accession to the bloc.



The main leaders of the European Parliament were positioned on Wednesday (08/03) in Strasbourg against the proposed agreement between the European Union (EU) and Turkey in exchange for support to stop the flow of migrants towards Europe. Lawmakers accused the EU to be delivering "the block keys" to Ankara.

"This agreement can not be a form of horse trading in the shoes of refugees," said Gianni Pittella, leader of the Socialists, noting that negotiations on the migratory crisis should not be confused with the accession of Turkey to the bloc.

The same opinion was defended by the leader of the left bench, Gabriele Zimmer. "You can not negotiate persons or fundamental rights. We have never been so far from a European solution," he said.

But the leader of the Alliance bench of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Guy Verhofstadt, said the deal is highly problematic because Ankara had much power to determine who is a refugee and who can enter Europe. A Kurdish Iraq could be denied access, exemplified.

Syed Kamall, the Conservatives and Reformists bench, also criticized the proposal as not being based on European laws. "There are one or two leaders negotiating without consulting other countries. I have difficulty seeing how if this agreement is legal or practical," he said.

Lawmakers also warned about making too many concessions to Turkey and the growing authoritarianism of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, citing as an example the interventions on the media and attacks against the Kurds.

Even the leader of the European People's Party, the German Manfred Weber, member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party Angela Merkel criticized the agreement. "There must be a partnership and not a dependency of Turkey," he said, emphasizing his skepticism about Turkey's accession to the bloc, due, for example, the "unacceptable attacks on newspapers."

proposal controversy

Turkey presented on Monday a plan to support the exchange to curb migration, which requested further 3 billion euros to the EU by 2018, in addition to the 3 billion already promised in November. Moreover, Ankara asked the visa exemption for Turkish citizens in the European Union and the acceleration of negotiations for entering the country in the block.

In return, Turkey undertakes to accept all refugees who come to Greece and not obtain asylum and is willing to readmit all immigrants who do not come from Syria and all who were intercepted in its territorial waters, and take firm action against human traffickers.

The proposal is being discussed by European leaders. Many are in favor of the measures. After the EU summit with Turkey, Merkel said were "data quality steps" and stressed that an agreement between the bloc and Ankara can be closed at the meeting scheduled for 17 and 18 March.