Via Sputnik (23.07.18) – Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Monday that Turkey was not fulfilling its agreement with the European Union to help curb migration to Europe, despite Ankara having received financial aid that was promised under the deal, pointing out that 1,200 migrants had arrived to Italy from Turkey since the beginning of 2018.
Continue reading Italian Minister Accuses Turkey of Not Fulfilling Migrant Deal Despite EU Money
Via Hürriyet Daily News – Opposition authorities are issuing new ID cards in northern Syria with help from neighboring Turkey, expanding their administration over territory that remains outside President Bashar al-Assad’s expanding area of control. Continue reading Turkey involved in creating new ID forms for Syrians who ‘lost it all’
Via Greek Reporter – Ankara has officially requested the extradition of the eight Turkish soldiers in the process of being granted asylum in Greece in exchange of a “fair trial” of the two Greek junior army officers detained in Turkey.
Greek newspaper Ta Nea has published a letter sent to President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani by the President of the Turkish Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Ahmet Berat Conkar.
Continue reading Ankara Officially Requests Exchange of Turkish Asylum Seekers for Greek Soldiers
Via Hurriyet Daily News – Turkey has suspended the migrant readmission deal with Greece in response to a Greek court’s decision to release eight former Turkish servicemen who fled to the country one day after Turkey’s July 2016 coup attempt, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on June 6.
Asked whether Ankara is considering sanctions against Greece following the release of the eight soldiers Çavuşoğlu described the move as “unacceptable.”
Continue reading Turkey suspends migrant readmission deal with Greece
Via Bianet (31st May) – The European Union is going to cut 40 percent in financial aids planned to be granted to Turkey. Human rights and respect for the rule of law are sought for financial aid.
European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn spoke at the general assembly session titled “Aid instrument for Turkey before access” held by the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Via Ahval – A lawyer representing eight Turkish servicemen who sought asylum in Greece following the country’s 2016 failed coup says all his clients have been freed pending a ruling on their applications, U.S. Tampa Bay newspaper reported.
Continue reading Greece frees 8 Turkish soldiers seeking asylum after 2016 coup attempt
Via The Black Sea – By Zeynep Şentek and Craig Shaw.
Major European Union countries expressed disquiet at having to pay for their six billion Euro deal with Turkey to keep Syrian refugees away from the EU
Despite a significant drop in Syrian refugees entering Europe from Turkey, member states did not want to finance the mega-deal from their national coffers, and instead asked to raid pre-accession funds or divert cash from the EU budget. Continue reading Secret EU docs show conflict over cash for EU-Turkey refugee deal
Via The Black Sea -By Zeynep Sentek and Sebnem Arsu.
Under an agreement in March 2016, the EU pledged six billion Euro to Turkey to effectively trap millions of refugees within its country and stop them from entering the European Union.
This is not the only cash from the EU. It also pays Turkey for military equipment which is used at its borders with Syria and Greece to halt those wishing to seek asylum in the 28-member bloc.
An investigation into EU contracts by Politiken and Danwatch (Denmark) in partnership with the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) reveals that EU has supplied Turkey with 83 million Euro in armoured military vehicles and surveillance equipment for what witnesses say is aggressive patrolling of the borders.
These deals also risk the EU being complicit in possible violations of the international rights of refugees. Continue reading No Way Out
Via The Telegraph – Greek soldiers fired warning shots at a Turkish helicopter after it approached a tiny Greek island in the eastern Aegean, in a dangerous escalation of tension between the regional rivals.
The island of Ro, which lies just a few miles off the Turkish coast, became the latest flashpoint between the neighbours after months of growing friction and nationalist rhetoric.
The incident, in which Greek soldiers reportedly fired tracer rounds towards the Turkish helicopter, happened late on Monday night.
After the shots were fired, the helicopter, which had buzzed the island at a low altitude, left the area.
Via Ekathimerini – Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras spoke with his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim on Tuesday evening amid rising tension in the Aegean.
Tsipras reportedly told Yildirim that incidents such as the one on Monday night, when a Turkish coast guard boat rammed a Greek patrol vessel, undermine Turkey’s relations with Greece and the European Union and contravene international law.
The Greek leader called for Turkey to end its breaches of Greece’s air space and territorial waters and for there to be de-escalation in the region. Continue reading Tsipras speaks to Turkish PM amid increasing tension in Aegean