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WORLD NEWSTuesday 8 March 2016
Turkey demands more money to help EU tackle migrant crisis
RAF CASERT Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, center, speaks with European Commission President to improve the quality of
LORNE COOK Jean-Claude Juncker, left, and European Council President Donald Tusk at an EU summit in Brus- life in their often crowded,
The Associated Press sels on Monday, March 7, 2016. European Union leaders are holding a summit in Brussels with squalid camps.
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Turkey to discuss the current migration crisis. In Ankara, the Turkish
Union leaders tussled with capital, President Recep
Turkey over how to control (Emmanuel Dunand, Pool Photo via AP) Tayyip Erdogan accused
the flow of asylum-seekers the EU of failing to pro-
from the Middle East in Brussels. der. The draft statement said vide enough of the al-
a diplomatic tug-of-war “Our objective is to rescue “To stop refugees arriving in the EU and Turkey would ready pledged funds. He
Monday that left the fate the lives of the refugees Greece, we have to coop- pursue “comprehensive, also criticized Europe for
of thousands of refugees (and) to fight against hu- erate with Turkey,” French large scale and fast track refusing to accept asylum
seeking a way to safety man smugglers,” he said. President Francois Hollande returns to Turkey of all irreg- seekers more readily, link-
people fleeing war hang- For its part, the EU sought said. ular migrants not in need of ing that policy to needless
ing in the balance. to gain stronger commit- In a draft statement pre- international protection.” deaths as thousands opt to
Daylong negotiations be- ments from Turkey to take pared for the talks, seen But Davutoglu upped the cross illegally by sea from
tween the 28-nation bloc back refugees who have by The Associated Press, ante Monday, calling for the Turkish coast to off-
and Turkey edged toward reached European shores the leaders said they were another 3 billion euros shore Greek islands.
midnight with both sides and ease a crisis that has seeking an agreement to in EU aid for Turkish-based “We are not sending them.
seeking more as part of left an estimated 13,000 return to Turkey any new- refugees by 2018 on top They are going by sea and
any new agreement. Tur- to 14,000 souls encamped comers who could not of the 3 billion already many of them are dying.
key, home to 2.75 mil- in the wintry cold on the qualify for legal refugee pledged to arrive by 2017. We have rescued close to
lion refugees chiefly from Greece-Macedonia bor- protection. The aid would be designed 100,000 from the sea,” Er-
neighboring Syria, sur- dogan said in a speech.
prised EU counterparts by Turkey is seeking a
demanding a doubling of new EU commitment to
funding beyond the 3 bil- take Syrians and other
lion euros ($3.3 billion) al- high-percentage refugee
ready pledged. applicants via safe travel
Turkey insisted that any routes, such as at the land
agreement would require border between Turkey
Europe to advance Tur- and Greece, to reduce
key’s long-delayed hope drowning deaths in the Ae-
of joining the bloc. As an gean Sea.
additional step, Turkey Overshadowing the sum-
said it expects EU nations mit diplomacy is Turkey’s
to ease its visa restrictions questionable human rights
on Turkish citizens within record. On Friday, Turkish
months. police stormed the head-
“Turkey is ready to work quarters of an anti-gov-
with the EU, and Turkey ernment newspaper to en-
is ready to be a member force a court order placing
of the EU as well,” Turk- the paper and its sister out-
ish Prime Minister Ahmet lets under new manage-
Davatoglu told reporters in ment. q
