Cyprus-Forum.com

[Tim Drayton]

According to Turkey’s Cumhuriyet newspaper, the Turkish authorities are now taking strenuous efforts to apprehend refugees attempting to cross into Europe, with reports of 1500 refugees having been detained in the province of Çanakkale alone in the past two days.

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/turk ... sildi.html

Refugees shown being rounded up by the Turkish gendarmerie:

[Lordo]

is this what the eu has descended to and all at the same time as they have increased bombing of syria.
may they all go to hell.

[GreekIslandGirl]

Too quick to give them praise. Two days of pseudo-activity was not worth 3Billion!

The European Union said Thursday it is far from satisfied with Turkey's cooperation in stemming the flow of migrants to Europe after a landmark deal clinched late last year.

More than one million refugees and migrants have flooded Europe's shores in the last year, most of them crossing from Turkey to Greece, in the biggest crisis of its kind the continent has faced since World War II.

In November EU leaders pledged three billion euros ($3.2` billion) in aid for the more than two million refugees currently sheltering on Turkish soil from the Syrian civil war, in exchange for Ankara acting to reduce the flow.

But the number of migrants travelling in the last couple of weeks via Turkey remains "relatively high," European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans told a press conference in Amsterdam at the launch of the Netherlands' six-month EU presidency.

YahooNews

[Cap]

Too quick for praise, absolutely.

History has taught us that the Anatolian terrorist regime has no honour and should never be trusted.
Especially under that little narcissistic imbecile Erdo.

[Kikapu]

Actually, EU is just paying lip service to blackmailing Turkey for threatening the EU by sending the refugees in Turkey to the EU, unless the EU does this this this for Turkey. The EU has bought some time for themselves so that they can close the borders and do away with the Schengen agreement for the time being, at which time the refugees Turkey sending to the EU will not be able to go any further than Greece perhaps. Once the refugees realize Greece is the furthers they will be able to travel to, they will rather stay in Turkey and not risk getting drowned and ending up on Turkish beaches wearing their deadly "life jackets" made in Turkey that killed them.

Turkey thinks they now have the upper hand for the EU to meet their demands in opening more EU chapters, Visa free travel to the Turks and so on. Once the EU closes it's borders withing the EU, Turkey will then lose it's blackmailing power over the EU, at which time, Turkey can kiss off the 3.2 Billion Euros, Visa free travel for the Turks in the EU as well as opening more chapters, other than the ones the EU may have already agreed to open.

[Kikapu]

Actually, EU is just paying lip service to blackmailing Turkey for threatening the EU by sending the refugees in Turkey to the EU, unless the EU does this this this for Turkey. The EU has bought some time for themselves so that they can close the borders and do away with the Schengen agreement for the time being, at which time the refugees Turkey sending to the EU will not be able to go any further than Greece perhaps. Once the refugees realize Greece is the furthers they will be able to travel to, they will rather stay in Turkey and not risk getting drowned and ending up on Turkish beaches wearing their deadly "life jackets" made in Turkey that killed them.

Turkey thinks they now have the upper hand for the EU to meet their demands in opening more EU chapters, Visa free travel to the Turks and so on. Once the EU closes it's borders withing the EU, Turkey will then lose it's blackmailing power over the EU, at which time, Turkey can kiss off the 3.2 Billion Euros, Visa free travel for the Turks in the EU as well as opening more chapters, other than the ones the EU may have already agreed to open.

Oh Gee, who would have thought this?

EU-Turkey migrant plan blocked by Italy: Officials

Italy is blocking a European Union plan to provide Turkey with 3 billion euros in aid in exchange for a commitment to stem the flow of migrants into Europe, two European officials said on Jan. 14.

The move marks a further escalation in Italy's combative position on EU issues. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi blasted German Chancellor Angela Merkel at an EU summit in December over EU policies on energy, banking and migration.

Since then, Italy has reiterated its opposition to the funding of the EU plan to stem migrants coming to Europe from the Middle East and Asia through Turkey, officials said. The plan is strongly backed by Germany, which is the final destination of most.

"There is only one member state that still has objections against the funding for Turkey. We do not understand why Italy is blocking it," a European diplomat said.

Germany's Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble is expected to raise the issue at Friday's meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels, a diplomat said.

The draft plan foresees that one third of the 3 billion euros should come from the EU budget and the remaining 2 billion from EU states.

Talks are continuing on how the national funding would be treated under EU deficit rules.

Italy is currently in talks with the EU Commission on whether it can be granted more fiscal leeway in its 2016 budget.

EU states gave initial backing to the aid plan at a summit with Turkey in November and the EU summit last month.

"The EU is now seen as backtracking. We need to solve this urgently so we can credibly negotiate with Ankara to stem the flow," the EU source said.

There was no immediate comment from the Italian government.
January/15/2016

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/eu-tur ... sCatID=351

[B25]

The EU is a corrupt disgraced ideology. Yeah, that's right be blackmailed for 3Bn, then it'll be another 3 Bn and so on.

Why not just place sanctions on Turkey, block Turks from visiting the EU and just make life hard for them, instead of bending over and taking it up the shitter!

Good on Italy, Greece AND Cyprus should also have objected, but we know our politicians are just pussies.

[repulsewarrior]

...as i said, the EU does not have a Policy on "migrants", or whatever they are defined as; refugees, homeless.

Gutless is the Policy as it is cobbled together, hoping the great 'idea man' that Erdogan likens himself to be, will solve this 'problem'.

...if it was about capacity, the challenge would be there, Italian design, German know-how, French analysis, Turkish determination, combined could make a system, not just to house "These" refugees, but those who seek shelter generally from such disasters, where they will not be treated in "6 months time", and where those who have been waiting for so long, do not live in squalor.

...indeed, Turkey has closed her own borders to anymore of these homeless. If Germany is complaining that the flow must stop, choices are few, to spend the money to defend European Borders and to take action accordingly, to act directly in Turkey conjointly as a liked minded people, to pay the money and to be prepared to pay more; it is economics that in the end, comparing costs and benefits that they are all the same.

[repulsewarrior]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35135810

..."they" return voluntarily.

[Kikapu]

Actually, EU is just paying lip service to blackmailing Turkey for threatening the EU by sending the refugees in Turkey to the EU, unless the EU does this this this for Turkey. The EU has bought some time for themselves so that they can close the borders and do away with the Schengen agreement for the time being, at which time the refugees Turkey sending to the EU will not be able to go any further than Greece perhaps. Once the refugees realize Greece is the furthers they will be able to travel to, they will rather stay in Turkey and not risk getting drowned and ending up on Turkish beaches wearing their deadly "life jackets" made in Turkey that killed them.

Turkey thinks they now have the upper hand for the EU to meet their demands in opening more EU chapters, Visa free travel to the Turks and so on. Once the EU closes it's borders withing the EU, Turkey will then lose it's blackmailing power over the EU, at which time, Turkey can kiss off the 3.2 Billion Euros, Visa free travel for the Turks in the EU as well as opening more chapters, other than the ones the EU may have already agreed to open.

Well, it seems like the outcome is happening as I had suggested a while back in how to deal with Turkey's blackmailing efforts in sending the refugees to the EU. Fortunately, Macedonia has taken the lead to save the EU's butt by closing their borders with Greece to stop the flow of refugees from Turkey to the rest of Europe via Greece. Once the refugees realize that Greece is as far as they can travel to, they will stop coming to Greece and not risk getting drowned, hence Turkey losing it's blackmailing hand with the EU. The EU should now tell Turkey to take a hike with it's Visa-free travel for the Turks in the EU as well as it's EU aspirations, specially since already few countries within the Schengen has already imposed border controls and also to not pay Turkey the 3 billion Euros for the refugees in Turkey that Turkey is part responsible for the Syrian war.

In fact, what the EU should do with that 3 billion Euros, is to give it to Greece to help facilitate in sending the refugees back to Turkey, and if Turkey does not take these refugees back willingly, because Turkey is now claiming that any return of refugees back to Turkey does not include the Syrians and Iraqis in their deal with the Visa free travel for the Turks (what bullshit), then what Greece should do, is to use the money from the EU and build many small safe boats and send the refugees back to Turkey with food and water from the closest Greek islands back to Turkey, with the Greek Navy escorting them to their maritime borders with Turkey, just to make sure that they are safe to that point, and for them to be on their own until they reach the Turkish coast, which won't be more that few miles. This is the only way to stop Turkey sending the refugees to the EU. In the meantime, for Greece and Bulgaria to also close their land borders with Turkey regarding the refugees.