Kurtulmuş: What Would Europe Do When Confronted With Mass Flux of Refugees?

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In a press conference held yesterday (November 27) in the residence of the London Embassy to Turkey, Vice Prime Minister and Parliamentary Spokesperson Numan Kurtulmuş on European Union (EU)-Turkey relations said; "Turkey-EU relations are at a very critical point at the moment" and added "the fact that the European Union has not taken any steps regarding the Visa waiver has stirred a feeling of having been cheated from Turkey's point of view".

Readmission agreement

Noting that Turkey had done its part with respect to stopping the illegal migration and had fully abided by the readmission agreement, Kurtulmuş said; "we expect that the promises made would be kept in return but unfortunately, they have not".
"Losing Turkey is not an affordable option for EU" Kurtulmuş said and added that "EU would withdraw into itself if the union lost Turkey".

"It is the EU who would pay the heavy price"

Noting that Turkey removing the barrier would cause an increase in the mass flux of refugees to the European Union, Kurtulmuş added;
"What will the European politicians who dither in panic when they see a few thousand Syrians, when they have to confront hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants?"

The rise of the extreme right in the EU

"The heaviest price the EU would have to pay would be the rise of the extreme right in the EU", Kurtulmuş stated and added;
"No one should assume that they would expand their territory by doing politics on Turkey. A hostility against Turkey does not do good for anyone. Neither for the member states of the EU nor the institutionalized identity of the EU".

"Merkel should continue with plan A"

Commenting on the statement of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel that they had "no plan B with regards to the readmission agreement between the EU and Turkey", Kurtulmuş said;

"Then Ms. Merkel should continue with the plan A. While Turkey does its part regarding the readmission agreement, Europe should provide the support it had promised for the immigrants, and grant Turkey the visa waiver they promised as well".

"The EU did not pay the 3 billion Euros"

Noting that the EU had not provided the support of 3 billion euros as a part of the readmission agreement, Kurtulmuş said;

"The EU is obviously ungenerous when it comes to making these funds available. Turkey has so far spent at least 13 billion dollars for Syrian refugees".(AS/DG)