EU, Turkey to review migrant deal as border tensions simmer
Suzan Fraser | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 8 months AGO
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, walks with European Council President Charles Michel prior to a meeting at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, March 9, 2020. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Brussels on Monday for talks with European Union officials amid a standoff between Ankara and Brussels over sharing of responsibility for refugees and migrants. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participate in a media conference after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, March 9, 2020. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Brussels on Monday for talks with European Union officials amid a standoff between Ankara and Brussels over sharing of responsibility for refugees and migrants. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)
European Council President Charles Michel speaks during a media conference after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, March 9, 2020. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Brussels on Monday for talks with European Union officials amid a standoff between Ankara and Brussels over sharing of responsibility for refugees and migrants. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, arrives for a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Turkish Representation in Brussels, Monday, March 9, 2020. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting Brussels on Monday for talks with EU and NATO officials amid a standoff between Ankara and Brussels over sharing of responsibility for refugees and migrants. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)
Pro-Erdogan supporters wave flags and banners prior to a meeting of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Turkish Representation in Brussels, Monday, March 9, 2020. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Brussels on Monday for talks with European Union officials amid a standoff between Ankara and Brussels over sharing of responsibility for refugees and migrants. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)
Pro-Erdogan supporters wave flags and banners prior to a meeting of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Turkish Representation in Brussels, Monday, March 9, 2020. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Brussels on Monday for talks with European Union officials amid a standoff between Ankara and Brussels over sharing of responsibility for refugees and migrants. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)
European Council President Charles Michel arrives for a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, March 9, 2020. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Brussels on Monday for talks with European Union officials amid a standoff between Ankara and Brussels over sharing of responsibility for refugees and migrants. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
Migrants walk in Edirne at the Turkish-Greek border, Monday, March 9, 2020. Thousands of migrants have massed at Turkey's land border with EU-member Greece after Erdogan's government made good on a long-standing threat and announced that Turkey _ which is home to more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees _ would no longer prevent migrants and refugees from crossing over into EU countries. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Migrants use a motorbike in Edirne at the Turkish-Greek border, Monday, March 9, 2020. Thousands of migrants have massed at Turkey's land border with EU-member Greece after Erdogan's government made good on a long-standing threat and announced that Turkey _ which is home to more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees _ would no longer prevent migrants and refugees from crossing over into EU countries. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
A migrant from Iran carries his dog as he walks near Edirne at the Turkish-Greek border, Monday, March 9, 2020. Thousands of migrants have massed at Turkey's land border with EU-member Greece after Erdogan's government made good on a long-standing threat and announced that Turkey _ which is home to more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees _ would no longer prevent migrants and refugees from crossing over into EU countries. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
A migrant flashes a victory sign as he rides with others in a cart near the Turkish-Greek border on Sunday, March 8, 2020. Thousands of migrants headed for Turkey's land border with Greece after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government said last week that it would no longer prevent migrants and refugees from crossing over to European Union territory. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
A migrant man covers his face as he walks near the Turkish-Greek border on Sunday, March 8, 2020. Thousands of migrants headed for Turkey's land border with Greece after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government said last week that it would no longer prevent migrants and refugees from crossing over to European Union territory. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Greek army patrol at the Greek-Turkish border in the village of Kastanies, Evros region on Monday, March 9, 2020. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Brussels on Monday for talks with European Union officials amid a standoff between Ankara and Brussels over sharing of responsibility for refugees and migrants. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union and Turkey agreed to review a 4-year-old deal on managing migrants and refugees in an effort to settle a dispute that sent thousands of people to the Turkey-Greece border in hopes of reaching Europe, top EU officials said Monday.
Under the 2016 agreement, the EU offered Turkey up to 6 billion euros ($6.7 billion) in aid for the Syrian refugees it hosts, fast-tracked EU membership and other incentives to stop Europe-bound migrants. The number arriving in Greece from Turkey dropped dramatically after the deal took effect.
After talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Brussels, European Council President Charles Michel said teams headed by the EU foreign policy chief and Turkey's foreign minister would work "in the next days to clarify the implementation of the deal between Turkey and the EU to be certain that we are on the same page."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that during the talks with Erdogan “there was a clear focus on, ‘Let’s discuss what is fact. Let’s sort out how both sides see the past and how we evaluate the EU-Turkey statement’.”
The Turkish leader left without speaking to the media. Officials from his office described the talks as “productive.”
Turkey hosts more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees, and Erdogan has demanded that Europe shoulder more of the burden of caring for them.
He has accused the EU of not meeting its obligations under the 2016 agreement, including failing to pay money promised to Turkey to stem the flow of migrants to Europe.
The EU says it is disbursing the funds but also accused Erdogan of “blackmail” for waving migrants through to Europe late last month after dozens of Turkish soldiers were killed in fighting in northern Syria.
Asked whether Erdogan promised to restart Turkey's efforts to prevent migrants from leaving the country, Michel said, “What’s in the statement, and what’s in the camp of Turkey has to be fulfilled.”
EU countries have rallied behind Greece, which is also a member of NATO, and described it as a “shield” protecting Europe's borders with the outside world.
Earlier, a high-level Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government rules, said the sides would discuss a possible revision of the agreement. It wasn't immediately clear if the review will lead to one.
Erdogan had also been expected to raise concerns over alleged violence by Greek authorities as they push migrants back to Turkey.
Greece has deployed riot police and border guards to repel people and the border area has since seen violent confrontations. On Saturday, youths threw rocks at Greek police and tried to pull down a border fence.
Many migrants have alleged mistreatment at the hands of Greek police, and Turkey says two migrants were killed in violence along the border. Greece has denied the accusations.
Von der Leyen said that the use of “excessive force” is unacceptable and that security action should be “proportionate,” but the EU has generally been unwilling to openly criticize the actions of the police.
Tens of thousands of migrants were already in Greece before Turkey announced its borders open, many of them in massively overcrowded camps on Greek islands facing the Turkish coast.
Part of the 2016 EU-Turkey deal stipulates that new arrivals must remain on the islands pending deportation unless they successfully apply for asylum in Greece.
Germany's coalition government said early Monday the country was willing to "support Greece regarding the difficult humanitarian situation of about 1,000 to 1,500 children on the Greek islands."
The government said Germany could host children in dire need of medical treatment or those who are unattended minors younger than 14, especially girls. It didn't say exactly how many children Germany would take, but said an agreement would be negotiated by a European "coalition of the willing" in coming days.
The situation on the Greek-Turkish land border was generally calm Monday. Greek authorities said in the 24 hours to Monday morning, they had blocked 1,646 attempts to cross the border and arrested two people — one Moroccan and one Egyptian.
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Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Kirsten Grieshaber and Geir Moulson in Berlin, Samuel Petrequin in Brussels, Elena Becatoros in Athens and Costas Kantouris in Kastanies, Greece, contributed to this report.
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