Storm in a Turkish tea cup

The prospect of 80 million-strong Turkey joining the EU is a red herring used by the Brexiters to drum up fears about migration. In the recent agreement between Turkey and the EU on March 18th, the EU offered Ankara visa-free travel to countries in the Schengen area, and promised to open a chapter in the on-going accession talks, in exchange for its co-operation to stem the flow of irregular migration towards Europe. Brexiters see it as a sign that Turkish EU membership and a rapid surge of Turkish migrants is inevitable. But much water will flow through the Bosporus straits before Turkey joins the EU.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: European Council, Brussels, 17 - 18 March 2016 http://www.europeansources.info/record/european-council-brussels-17-18-march-2016/

ESO: Background information: Never mind Brexit scaremongering – Turkey is a long way from joining the EU http://www.europeansources.info/record/never-mind-brexit-scaremongering-turkey-is-a-long-way-from-joining-the-eu/

ESO: Background information: Crunch Time in the EU-Turkey Relationship http://www.europeansources.info/record/crunch-time-in-the-eu-turkey-relationship/

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