Given the worsening situation in Syria, the EU is facing a new asylum crisis. Turkish President Erdogan sees the refugee pact of 2016 as a failure.
- The situation on the EU’s external border with Turkey is coming to a head.
- Turkey’s President Erdogan threatens the European Union with the termination of the Refugee Pact.
- Tens of thousands of refugees are trying to enter the EU.
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Update 10:48 p.m .: Greece will not accept new asylum applications for a month. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Twitter on Sunday.
Update 10:03 p.m .: Bulgaria’s head of government Boiko Borisov will travel to Ankara on Monday to speak with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the situation in Syria and refugee movements. As the Bulgarian government announced on Sunday, the two of them will have dinner “to discuss actions that will help to overcome the crisis in Syria and stop the migratory pressure.”
Update 9:26 pm: In Greece, security forces have had the highest alert since Sunday evening. This applies to both the military and the police, a government spokesman said after a Security Council meeting chaired by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on state television.
In addition, the government spokesman threw the Turkey to act as a kind of “smuggler” and to motivate migrants to come to Greece. Athens also wanted additional ones Apply for help from the European border protection agency Frontex and financial aid from the EU, it was said. The government spokesman said that illegally arrived people should – if possible – be expelled to their countries of origin.
Escalation in Lesbos: UN building on fire, politicians report terrifying conditions
Update 9:12 p.m .: The one initiated by the Turkish government Opening the borders towards the EU not only has dramatic consequences at the Turkish-Greek border crossing at Kastanies / Pazarkule (see 5:18 p.m.) – also on the island of Lesbos The already tense situation is exacerbated, as eyewitnesses report.
Angry islanders left around 50 migrants in an inflatable raft on Sunday Thermi port not on land, as AFP photographers reported. They shouted “Go back to Turkey,” insulted a representative of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), attacked some journalists and photographers. There were also children among the refugees. Near the beach at Skala Sykamineas, an AFP photographer watched as Greeks Set fire to unused UN welcome center for refugees, To information the image the perpetrators were right-wing extremists.
The MEP Erik Marquardt (Greens) confirmed the reports in an interview with the taz and shared a video of the burning UN building. According to him, some of the boats that were unable to maneuver and that were occupied by refugees had not yet been rescued by the coast guard, and in some cases only after repeated insistence. Groups of masked young men threatened and attacked aid workers and journalists, he said. The conditions in the Moria refugee camp are “terrible”: “Everything is full of dirt and mud, the hygienic conditions are a disaster.”
The former reception center “Stage 2” #Lesbos was kindled. Humanitarian workers have been attacked and do not dare to leave the house. The press cannot move freely on the island either. Police are threatening instead of helping. Europe 2020. It’s so shameful. #Lesvos https://t.co/RYvB7ylAMG
– Erik Marquardt (@ErikMarquardt) March 1, 2020
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Marquardt’s party friend Cem Özdemir practiced on twitter meanwhile violent criticism of the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, The “military adventure alongside terrorist Islamists” in Syria cost 53 Turkish soldiers their lives within a month, he wrote. Erdogan is now instrumentalizing the refugees “to extort money”.
Chaos on the Turkish border: Herrmann warns of “blackmail”
Update 5.40 p.m .: Bavaria’s interior minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) accuses Turkey of “unfair methods” and politics “on the back of the refugees”. With a view to opening the Turkish borders to Greece and Bulgaria, explained Herrmann the newspapers of the Funke media group, Recep Tayyip Erdogans government apparently wants to increase the pressure on the EU to get more money.
Germany should not be blackmailedHerrmann emphasized. At the same time, he does not expect the Turkey deals – The government in Ankara should have no interest in that. “It is not a one-sided agreement. Turkey also benefits from this, among other things through the billions in payments from the EU. ”
Herrmann tried to appease. There is currently “no new wave of refugees in Germany”. In addition, the Bavarian border police are “excellently positioned”. The minister, however, reiterated his call for a clear one Expansion of the EU border protection agency Frontex,
Turkey: EU foreign ministers plan special meeting – at the request of Greece
Update 5:33 p.m .: The EU foreign ministers come to Greece this week at the request of Greece Special meeting due to the escalation of the conflict in Syria together. This was shared by the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday with. He did not give an exact date. The EU must double its efforts to end “this terrible humanitarian crisis with all the means at its disposal,” said Borrell, calling for a ceasefire in Syria.
Turkey: 75,000 people on the border? Greece uses water cannons and tear gas
Update 17.18 p.m .: Around To prevent migrants from crossing the border from Turkey to Greece, the Greek police said on Sunday heavy water cannons and tear gas used, Greek media showed a short video of what happened at a border crossing on the Evros River, which has been closed since Friday.
A Greek police water cannon is used against refugees on the Turkish-Greek border.
© AFP / SAKIS MITROLIDIS
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According to media reports, the migrants had previously hurled stones and other objects at the riot police. A police officer is said to have been injured, according to reports from Greek radio.
Large groups of migrants from numerous countries in the Middle East and Africa have been trying over the already closed since Friday Border crossing at Kastanies / Pazarkule to come to Greece from Turkey. The government in Athens has repeatedly stated that Greece will not tolerate illegal border crossings.
Turkey: Green leader Baerbock wants to reactivate German refugee accommodation as a precaution
Greens boss Annalena Baerbock proposed a quota solution at the weekend to accept migrants from the Turkish-Greek border, in which Germany should also participate. The EU Baerbock claimed in the “world” that it was her duty to support Greece in coping with the situation by all means – financially, human resources, with relief goods and material. “We can’t pretend that it’s none of our business.”
Specifically, it was under high pressure Establish initial reception facilities at the EU’s external borders, “Refugees who cross the border have to be registered there quickly, subjected to a security check and a data comparison. Of course we have to know who comes to us, ”argued Baerbock. “Then contingents of refugees should be distributed as quickly as possible in the EU in order to carry out the asylum procedures there.” “Germany should reactivate its own capacities for refugee accommodation,” explained Baerbock.
Turkey claims: Have over 75,000 migrants migrated to the EU
Update 2.45 p.m .: Turkey says it has until 10 a.m. local time on Sunday morning Let 76,358 migrants cross the border towards the EU, The Turkish interior minister Süleyman Soylu said on Twitter that they had headed for the EU across the border in the province of Edirne. In the province of Edirne there are border crossings to Greece and Bulgaria. However, initially neither Sofia nor Athens confirmed the arrival of large numbers of migrants.
Migrants at a closed Turkish-Greek border crossing
© picture alliance / dpa / Ahmed Deeb
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According to the Ministry of Migration in Athens from Sunday The Greek police have so far prevented around 9,600 migrants from crossing the border, The country also strengthened its units on the border. According to the UN Organization for Migration, more than 13,000 people remain on the Turkish side. They hope to enter the EU after Turkey has made it clear that it is no longer stopping migrants.
Erdogan has opened gates to the EU – the situation on the Greek border is coming to a head – pressure on Merkel is growing
First registration March 1st, 2020, 8.45 a.m .: Ankara / Berlin – After the opening of its borders towards the EU announced by Turkey, according to the UN Organization for Migration, more than 13,000 migrants arrived at the border with Greece, Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said on Twitter that by Saturday evening 36,776 migrants had crossed the border to the European Union. The neighboring EU countries could do that Greece and Bulgaria to not confirm.
Erdogan opens gates to EU refugee deal with Turkey threatens to fail
Previously, the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that his country was no longer holding refugees on their way to Europe. Erdogan said on Saturday that the “gates” of Turkey are now open to refugees who want to go to Europe. There were first clashes at border crossings to Greece on Saturday, in the course of which tear gas was also used against the advancing migrants.
Turkey ‘s action violates the Refugee pact with the EU of 2016. Erdogan justified this with the EU not adhering to the refugee pact concluded in March 2016. Ankara undertook to take back all refugees arriving in the Greek Aegean Islands and to take more action against gangs of traffickers. In return, the EU promised Turkey billions in aid, accelerated visa facilitation and the modernization of the customs union. Erdogan may now be trying to extort more money from the EU to accommodate and care for the refugees.
Turkey is under pressure because of the offensive, the Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad with military support from Russia in the last rebel stronghold Idlib leads. According to the UN, this has been the case since December displaced almost a million people, so that the number of refugees continues to increase in Turkey. Turkey already has more than 3.6 million refugees taken from Syria.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel followed the situation on the EU’s external borders with Turkey with concern. “Our top priority is that Greece and Bulgaria have our full support,” tweeted von der Leyen on Saturday evening. The EU is ready for further support, also with additional forces from the EU border protection agency Frontex.
Our top priority at this stage is to ensure that Greece and Bulgaria have our full support. We stand ready to provide additional support including through #Frontex on the land border. (2/2)
– Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 29, 2020
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Turkey-EU crisis: Greens and FDP increase pressure on Chancellor Merkel
In view of the escalation of the refugee situation on the EU border with Turkey, the Greens now see Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) as an obligation. A European solution to the distribution of refugees is needed, the Green Group leader said Katrin Goering-Eckardt in the newspapers of the Funke media group from the federal government. If necessary, Merkel would have to “Alliance of the Willing” forge.
FDP General Secretary called for completely different consequences Linda Teuteberg given the reports on the opening of borders by Turkey. “Payments to Turkey must be suspended immediately if President Erdogan breaks agreements,” Teuteberg said Picture on Sunday, Merkel must now “put all its weight into play” so that a situation like 2015 does not repeat itself. In addition, she must emphasize “that an uncontrolled migration to Germany is prevented by all means of the rule of law”.
Norbert Röttgen (CDU) campaigns for understanding Erdogan’s approach – “A call for help”
The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, Norbert Röttgen (CDU) has warned the European Union against reacting harshly to the latest moves by Turkish President Erdogan. The announcement that Turkey’s borders with the EU would be open to refugees was “the external form of a threat”, but was in terms of content “a cry for help” to Europe, said Röttgen the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, “This is how we should understand it and not as a provocation,” warned Röttgen. Erdogan had failed in his attempt to work with Russia in Syria, and that is exactly what he is now signaling to the West. His announcement that he would now keep the Turkish borders open to refugees with the aim of the EU would be: “Look, I have failed with my Russia policy, and now I need the Europeans.”
Rubric list picture: © dpa / Angelos Tzortzinis
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