HarekAct offers a topical and chronological collection of news on the EU-Turkish border regime under this section. We link to external newspapers and websites and do not hold the copyright.
Views and opinions expressed in the articles published on HarekAct are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of all editorial board members.
Via Daily Sabah – A European Union-funded migrant health center has opened in the Turkish capital Ankara, the bloc’s Turkey delegation announced Wednesday.
In a statement, the delegation said that the EU-funded center “opened today to provide health services to refugees in the Altındağ district, where the refugee population density is the highest in Ankara.” Continue reading EU-funded health center for migrants opens in Ankara
According to Anadolu Ajansi* the Turkish Coast Guard and Gendarmerie captured 321 people that were attempting to cross into Europe by boat:
“Turkish Coast Guard and gendarmarie sources said 321 refugees were captured as they were trying to illegally travel to European countries on Tuesday… Continue reading Turkey foils illegal crossing attempts into Europe
Via Daily Sabah* – Bulgaria has rejected the asylum requests of all Turkish citizens who entered the country through various routes in the first eight months of 2017.
According to official information obtained by Anadolu Agency, 12 Turkish citizens applied for asylum in Bulgaria for various reasons until September this year. Seven of these all-men applicants were aged between 18 and 34, while the remaining five were aged between 35 and 64.
However, Bulgarian officials did not disclose whether the rejected asylum seekers were sent back to Turkey. Continue reading No Turkish citizens granted asylum in Bulgaria in past 8 months
Via The Turkey Purge – A family of 5 were detained while hiding at a hunters’ club in Ipsala district of Edirne, Turkey’s border province with Greece, on Sept 14. Continue reading Couple, three children detained near Greek border before illegal departure from Turkey
Via The Guardian – Twelve migrants, apparently from North Africa, have been sailing to and fro between Istanbul and Odessa on a Danish passenger ferry for the last seven weeks, locked in four cabins with no country willing to take them.
According to the operator, DFDS, Turkey and Ukraine both refuse to accept the men. Continue reading Migrants stuck on endless ferry journey as countries refuse entry
Via The Sofia Globe – Boats carrying more than 200 refugees were stopped by the Romanian Coastguard on Saturday, according to reports in Austrian and Romanian publications. They had started in Turkey. The article can be read here.
Via Independent – After activists intervened at Heathrow Airport, the pilot of a Turkish Airlines flight refused to fly to Istanbul with a young Afghan man aboard, whom British authorities wanted to deport to Afghanistan. The article can be read here.
Via Daily Sabah Turkey – Security forces intercepted 150 Syrian refugees who boarded a fishing boat to Romania from the Black Sea city of Kastamonu on a route probably used for the first time by migrants trying to reach Europe.
Continue reading Syrian refugees stopped at unlikely route to Romania
Via The News York Times – The mayor of Lesbos has accused Turkey of failing to honour its end of the €3 billion EU deal to stem the flow of migrants into Europe.
Spyros Galinos says that an increase in arrivals on the Greek island after a 16-month lull that followed the signing of the deal, shows that Turkey is reneging on its obligations to police the people-smuggling industry. More than a million people travelled from its shores to Greece in 2015 and last year. Continue reading Turkey accused of breaking EU migration deal
Via NTV – Already 30.000 Syrians who want to spend Eid al-Adha (Sacrifice Feast) in their homecountry already crossed into Syria from Turkey’s border gate in Kilis.
Asylum seekers who want to go back to Syria for a short period of time and then turn back, need the permission of the governor. A total of 47.322 Syrians applied to leave the country for the Sacrifice Feast, already 30.000 left. Long queues are already forming at the 7 control points at the Syrian-Turkish border.
This is a short summary of the Turkish original. Follow here to read the whole article in Turkish.