EU delegation visits Ankara, discusses migration crisis

The European Union’s new commissioners responsible for issues related to migration and the refugee crisis visited the Turkish capital Ankara on Dec. 6. An official statement released by the commissioners following their meetings with the Turkish officials said: “Both sides reiterated their commitment to the implementation of all aspects of the EU-Turkey statement and to sustained and renewed engagement with one another."

Duvar English

Margaritis Schinas, European Commission vice-president and commissioner for protecting the European way of life, and Ylva Johansson, commissioner for home affairs, visited the Turkish capital Ankara on Dec. 6 to discuss Turkey-EU relations and cooperation on migration issues.

Schinas and Johansson were received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Vice President Fuat Oktay, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs Ambassador Faruk Kaymakcı and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Levent Gök.

Following their meetings, Schinas wrote on Twitter that the meetings had been “constructive” and thanked the Turkish officials for their hospitality.

Schinas and Johansson also issued an official statement regarding the meetings in Ankara, saying: “The visit was an occasion to show concretely that the EU is committed to continuing its engagement and cooperation with Turkey, as a candidate country, a key strategic partner and neighbor."

"The start of the new political cycle in the EU is an occasion to renew that commitment, and the visit, which took place in the first week of the new Commission taking office, is testament to this."

"Turkey is hosting the largest refugee population in the world. Vice-President Schinas and Commissioner Johansson reiterated their steadfast commitment to delivering the already committed support under the Facility for Refugees in Turkey. They also recognized that the needs will continue and that these should continue to be met with EU support going forward."

"Both sides reiterated their commitment to the implementation of all aspects of the EU-Turkey statement and to sustained and renewed engagement with one another," said the statement further.

Turkey and the EU signed a refugee deal in March 2016, which aimed to discourage irregular migration through the Aegean Sea by taking stricter measures against human traffickers and improving the conditions of Syrian refugees in Turkey.