The EU-Turkey Refugee Deal Needs a Reset

Less than three months after being agreed to, the 29 November 2015 EU-Turkey joint action plan on refugees is far from yielding any significant results, despite countless visits in both directions by political figures and senior officials. So far, the deal has essentially produced acrimonious statements, and its success is by no means assured due to the worsening conflict in Syria, the EU’s flawed approach, and a tense domestic situation in Turkey.

Whereas past external crises have triggered major advances in EU integration, the current set of outside challenges may deal fatal blows to key pillars of the EU’s architecture. This trend is worth a serious look from the 28 member states.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background Information: International Summit: Meeting of the EU heads of state or government with Turkey, Brussels, 29 November 2015 http://www.europeansources.info/record/international-summit-meeting-of-the-eu-heads-of-state-or-government-with-turkey-brussels-29-november-2015/

ESO: Background Information: Press release: Managing the Refugee Crisis: Commission reports on implementation of EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-managing-the-refugee-crisis-commission-reports-on-implementation-of-eu-turkey-joint-action-plan/

ESO: Information Guide: European Migration Challenges http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-european-migration-challenges/

ESO: Background information: EU pleads with Turkey to accept refugees fleeing Aleppo offensive http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-pleads-with-turkey-to-accept-refugees-fleeing-aleppo-offensive/

Carnegie Europe: Strategic Europe, 03.03.16: Will Turkey and the EU See the Bigger Picture? http://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/?fa=62955

---