ecemseyran

PRESS RELEASE
144/16
18/03/2016
EU-Turkey statement, 18 March 2016
Today the Members of the European Council met with their Turkish counterpart. This was the third meeting since November 2015 dedicated to deepening Turkey-EU relations as well as addressing the migration crisis.The Members of the European Council expressed their deepest condolences to the people of Turkey following the bomb attack in Ankara on Sunday. They strongly condemned this heinous act and reiterated their continued support to fight terrorism in all its forms.
Turkey and the European Union reconfirmed their commitment to the implementation of their joint action plan activated on 29 November 2015. Much progress has been achieved already, including Turkey’s opening of its labour market to Syrians under temporary protection, the introduction of new visa requirements for Syrians and other nationalities, stepped up security efforts by the Turkish coast guard and police and enhanced information sharing. Moreover, the European Union has begun disbursing the 3 billion euro of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey for concrete projects and work has advanced on visa liberalisation and in the accession talks, including the opening of Chapter 17 last December.

On 7 March 2016, Turkey furthermore agreed to accept the rapid return of all migrants not in need of international protection crossing from Turkey into Greece and to take back all irregular migrants intercepted in Turkish waters. Turkey and the EU also agreed to continue stepping up measures against migrant smugglers and welcomed the establishment of the NATO activity on the Aegean Sea. At the same time Turkey and the EU recognise that further, swift and determined efforts are needed. In order to break the business model of the smugglers and to offer migrants an alternative to putting their lives at risk, the EU and Turkey today decided to end the irregular migration from Turkey to the EU. In order to achieve this goal, they agreed on the following additional action points:
1) All new irregular migrants crossing from Turkey into Greek islands as from 20 March 2016 will be returned to Turkey. This will take place in full accordance with EU and international law, thus excluding any kind of collective expulsion. All migrants will be protected in accordance with the relevant international standards and in respect of the principle of non-refoulement. It will be a temporary and extraordinary measure which is necessary to end the human suffering and restore public order. Migrants arriving in the Greek islands will be duly registered and any application for asylum will be processed individually by the Greek authorities in accordance with the Asylum Procedures Directive, in cooperation with UNHCR. Migrants not applying for asylum or whose application has been found unfounded or inadmissible in accordance with the said directive will be returned to Turkey. Turkey and Greece, assisted by EU institutions and agencies, will take the necessary steps and agree any necessary bilateral arrangements, including the presence of Turkish officials on Greek islands and Greek officials in Turkey as from 20 March 2016, to ensure liaison and thereby facilitate the smooth functioning of these arrangements. The costs of the return operations of irregular migrants will be covered by the EU.
2) For every Syrian being returned to Turkey from Greek islands, another Syrian will be resettled from Turkey to the EU taking into account the UN Vulnerability Criteria. A mechanism will be established, with the assistance of the Commission, EU agencies and other Member States, as well as the UNHCR, to ensure that this principle will be implemented as from the same day the returns start. Priority will be given to migrants who have not previously entered or tried to enter the EU irregularly. On the EU side, resettlement under this mechanism will take place, in the first instance, by honouring the commitments taken by Member States in the conclusions of Representatives of the Governments of Member States meeting within the Council on 20 July 2015, of which 18.000 places for resettlement remain. Any further need for resettlement will be carried out through a similar voluntary arrangement up to a limit of an additional 54.000 persons. The Members of the European Council welcome the Commission’s intention to propose an amendment to the relocation decision of 22 September 2015 to allow for any resettlement commitment undertaken in the framework of this arrangement to be offset from non-allocated places under the decision. Should these arrangements not meet the objective of ending the irregular migration and the number of returns come close to the numbers provided for above, this mechanism will be reviewed. Should the number of returns exceed the numbers provided for above, this mechanism will be discontinued.
3) Turkey will take any necessary measures to prevent new sea or land routes for illegal migration opening from Turkey to the EU, and will cooperate with neighbouring states as well as the EU to this effect.
4) Once irregular crossings between Turkey and the EU are ending or at least have been substantially and sustainably reduced, a Voluntary Humanitarian Admission Scheme will be activated. EU Member States will contribute on a voluntary basis to this scheme.
5) The fulfilment of the visa liberalisation roadmap will be accelerated vis-à-vis all participating Member States with a view to lifting the visa requirements for Turkish citizens at the latest by the end of June 2016, provided that all benchmarks have been met. To this end Turkey will take the necessary steps to fulfil the remaining requirements to allow the Commission to make, following the required assessment of compliance with the benchmarks, an appropriate proposal by the end of April on the basis of which the European Parliament and the Council can make a final decision.
6) The EU, in close cooperation with Turkey, will further speed up the disbursement of the initially allocated 3 billion euros under the Facility for Refugees in Turkey and ensure funding of further projects for persons under temporary protection identified with swift input from Turkey before the end of March. A first list of concrete projects for refugees, notably in the field of health, education, infrastructure, food and other living costs, that can be swiftly financed from the Facility, will be jointly identified within a week. Once these resources are about to be used to the full, and provided the above commitments are met, the EU will mobilise additional funding for the Facility of an additional 3 billion euro up to the end of 2018.
7) The EU and Turkey welcomed the ongoing work on the upgrading of the Customs Union.
8) The EU and Turkey reconfirmed their commitment to re-energise the accession process as set out in their joint statement of 29 November 2015. They welcomed the opening of Chapter 17 on 14 December 2015 and decided, as a next step, to open
Chapter 33 during the Netherlands presidency. They welcomed that the Commission will put forward a proposal to this effect in April. Preparatory work for the opening of other Chapters will continue at an accelerated pace without prejudice to Member States’ positions in accordance with the existing rules.
9) The EU and its Member States will work with Turkey in any joint endeavour to improve humanitarian conditions inside Syria, in particular in certain areas near the Turkish border which would allow for the local population and refugees to live in areas which will be more safe.
All these elements will be taken forward in parallel and monitored jointly on a monthly basis.
The EU and Turkey decided to meet again as necessary in accordance with the joint statement of 29 November 2015.

Source:  http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2016/03/18-eu-turkey-statement/

Minister Bozkır will meet with Harlem Désir, French Secretary of State for European Affairs at a working lunch and with the Members and Chair of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs Committee of the Senate and National Assembly, and address the members of the French Parliament.
Minister Bozkır will also meet with the French businessmen at a dinner hosted by the Turkish Embassy in Paris. Harlem Désir, French Secretary of State for European Affairs will also attend the dinner.
After his Paris visit, Minister Bozkır will visit Brussels to hold official talks with European Commissioners. In Brussels, Minister Bozkır will meet with Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commission’s Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, and with Neven Mimica, European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development.
Minister Bozkır will also meet with Turkish citizens living in Belgium at a meeting held by the Belgium Office of the Union of European Turkish Democrats (UETD)

 

1. Following their meeting with Prime Minister Davutoğlu, the EU Heads of State or Government addressed the migration situation, in particular as regards the Western Balkans route. They welcomed their discussion with the Turkish Prime Minister on EU-Turkey relations and on the progress made in the implementation of the Joint Action Plan. Turkey confirmed its commitment in implementing the bilateral Greek-Turkish readmission agreement to accept the rapid return of all migrants not in need of international protection crossing from Turkey into Greece and to take back all irregular migrants apprehended on Turkish waters.

The Heads of State or Government agreed that bold moves were needed to close down people smuggling routes, to break the business model of the smugglers, to protect our external borders and to end the migration crisis in Europe. We need to break the link between getting in a boat and getting settlement in Europe.

That is why they underlined the importance of the NATO activity in the Aegean Sea that became operational today. They called on all members of NATO to support it actively. They warmly welcomed the additional proposals made today by Turkey to address the migration issue. They agreed to work on the basis of the principles they contain:

• to return all new irregular migrants crossing from Turkey into the Greek islands with the costs covered by the EU;
• to resettle, for every Syrian readmitted by Turkey from Greek islands, another Syrian from Turkey to the EU Member States, within the framework of the existing commitments;
• to accelerate the implementation of the visa liberalization roadmap with all Member States with a view to lifting the visa requirements for Turkish citizens at the latest by the end of June 2016;
• to speed up the disbursement of the initially allocated 3 billion euros to ensure funding of a first set of projects before the end of March and decide on additional funding for the Refugee Facility for Syrians;
• to prepare for the decision on the opening of new chapters in the accession negotiations as soon as possible, building on the October 2015 European Council conclusions;
• to work with Turkey in any joint endeavour to improve humanitarian conditions inside Syria which would allow for the local population and refugees to live in areas which will be more safe.

The President of the European Council will take forward these proposals and work out the details with the Turkish side before the March European Council. This work will respect European and international law.

The EU Heads of State or Government also discussed with the Turkish Prime Minister the situation of the media in Turkey.

2. Heads of State or Government further recalled that the European Council, at its meeting on 18-19 February, decided to get back to a situation where all Members of the Schengen area fully apply the Schengen Borders Code, while taking into account the specificities of the maritime borders, and to end the wave-through approach. Irregular flows of migrants along the Western Balkans route have now come to an end.

3. In order to make this sustainable, action is required along the following lines:

a) stand by Greece, in this difficult moment and do our utmost to help manage the situation that has arisen as a consequence of this development. This is a collective EU responsibility requiring fast and efficient mobilisation of all available EU means and resources and of Member States’ contributions;

b) provide an immediate and effective response to the very difficult humanitarian situation which is rapidly developing on the ground. Emergency support will be provided urgently by the Commission, in close cooperation with Greece, other Member States and non-governmental organisations on the basis of an assessment, by the Commission and Greece, of the needs and a contingency and response plan. In this context, Heads of State or Government welcome the Commission proposal on the provision of emergency support within the EU  and call on the Council to adopt it before the March European Council, thus expanding the range of financial instruments that can be used; they invite the budgetary authority to take any necessary follow-up measures;

c) provide further assistance to Greece in managing the external borders, including those with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania, and ensuring the proper functioning of hotspots, with 100% identification, registration and security checks, and the provision of sufficient reception capacities. Frontex will launch an additional call for national guest officers as soon as possible and all Member States should respond in full by 1 April at the latest. Europol will rapidly deploy guest officers in all hotspots to reinforce security checks and support the Greek authorities in the fight against smugglers;

d) assist Greece in ensuring comprehensive, large scale and fast-track returns to Turkey of all irregular migrants not in need of international protection, building on the Greece-Turkey readmission agreement and, from 1 June, the EU-Turkey readmission agreement;

e) accelerate substantially the implementation of relocation to alleviate the heavy burden that presently weighs on Greece. EASO will launch a further call for national expertise to support the Greek asylum system and all Member States should respond rapidly and in full. Member States are also invited to provide more places for relocation as a matter of urgency. The Commission will report on a monthly basis  to the Council on the implementation of relocation commitments;

f) continue to cooperate closely with the non-EU countries of the Western Balkans and provide any necessary assistance;

g) implement the existing resettlement commitments and continue work on a credible voluntary humanitarian admission programme with Turkey;

h) take any necessary measures immediately in respect of any new routes opening up, and step up the fight against smugglers;

i) take forward, as a matter of priority, all the elements of the Commission roadmap on getting “back to Schengen”, so as to end temporary internal border controls and re-establish the normal functioning of the Schengen area before the end of the year.

This document does not establish any new commitments on Member States as far as relocation and resettlement is concerned.

Upon his return from Brussels David Cameron met with his cabinet members on Saturday to discuss the UK’s new special status in the EU after which he gave a press review where he declared that the UK would decide on June 23 via a referendum whether the UK  was stronger, safer and better off in a reformed EU. He also said that he was personally for a UK within the EU and that those who were not of the same view could campaign for an EU exit if they wished so. Secretary of Justice Michael Gove, nOther Ireland Secretary Theresa Vlliers, Work and Pensions Secretary Ian Duncan Smith, Secretary of Culture John Wittingdale and Leader of the House of Commons Chris Grayling were the  members of the cabinet who decided to campaign for an EU exit.

Pascal Lamy, former Director-General of the WTO and President emeritus of the Jacques Delors Institute was the Keynote speaker at a conference organized on February 13, 2016 at the Istanbul Chamber of Industry.

Lamy started his speech by focusing on where the obstacles to trade lie. Five percent of trade costs are made up by tariffs, as measured by the average tariff rate. Ten percent of costs come from crossing borders, which the trade facilitation agreement is addressing. Another 20% of trade costs come from coping with the regulatory and standards systems. Aid for Trade should address these costs which are largely the “costs of compliance” for exporters in meeting with regulations and standards. He went on discussing what was aimed today in the new world of trade.

“The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is very different from traditional trade agreements. It aims to merge legislation and not simply harmonise customs duties. It is therefore much more complex.” He acknowledged in his speech that it would take a long time to accomplish the goals set in the TTIP  once accepted. He pointed out that one should not forget that it took the European Union (EU)  thirty years to reach 80% of its  liberalization objectives for goods and 40% for services.

He continued by stating that .The new world trade order is about “precaution not protection”. In the old world of trade, policies were centered on protecting producers while today the obstacle to trade has moved toward protecting consumers. We see new standards and regulations aiming at protecting consumers’ health, their safety, workers’ rights, the environment and animal welfare. We talk today of providing consumers with various forms of protection. We talk about measures  on maximum pesticide residues (MPRs), measures, standards that cannot be moved and which will allow all those abiding to these standards  to enter the developped economies’ markets

Lamy stated that 80% of the negotiations on the TTIP deal with harmonisation of consumer protection standards, while only 20% focus on such typical trade issues as tariffs and market access.TTIP seeks to go beyond traditional trade deals by creating a genuine transatlantic single market. If successful, TTIP would cover more than 40% of global GDP and account for large shares of world trade and foreign direct investment.

But the road ahead is still paved with hurdles. Political leaders’ failure to explain the aims of the TTIP, the lack of transparency in the talks have allowed  anti-TTIP movements to grow. He advised leaders to spell out the intent of the ambitious plan to create the world’s largest free-trade zone, covering a market of 850 million consumers. He agreed that several issues appear to be more difficult to resolve because of cultural differences between the US and Europe, such as genetically modified organisms in food and other products, and the protection of private data. He finally stated that one should not expect anything final before spring 2019.

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409 people is said to have lost their lives in the Mediterranean while trying to reach secure lands. They had hoped to reach one of the EU countries.Those who  are in Turkey live either in camps or have moved to cities. It is said that in Laleli and Fatih in Istanbul around 300.000 Syrians have settled in and have opened 18 restaurants. The population structure of Turkey’s cities and the country in large is changing.

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