Merkel says hopes to take step forward in EU Turkey talks 'within hours'
(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) German ChancellorAngela Merkelhas expressed hope that Turkey and theEuropean Unionwill take a step forward on a joint action plan on illegal migrants suggesting a consensus could be reached “within hours.”
“We want to decrease the number of illegal migrants not just for some countries but for all including Greece” Merkel said stressing the crucial role of Turkey in reaching this end according to Reuters.
“In terms of maritime boundaries this can only be possible with [cooperation from] Turkey” the chancellor added.
Reiterating that the negotiations would be difficult Merkel nevertheless expressed hope that the EU and Turkey could take a step forward “within a few hours.”
Merkel held a six-hour meeting with Turkish Prime MinisterAhmet Davutoluand EU Term President Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in Brussels ahead of a March 7 summit.
The tête-à-tête was held at Turkey’s Permanent Representation to the EU late on March 6 and was followed by a trilateral meeting of TurkishGermanand Dutch delegations.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuolu and EU Minister Volkan Bozkr accompanied the Turkish PM in the latter meeting.
Reports indicate that the talks continued for approximately six hours until 3 a.m. on March 7.
According to sources from the Turkish Prime Ministry the joint action plan on illegal migrants regional developments and Turkey’s membership process to the EU were on top of the meetings’ agenda.
Turkey and the EU are set to come together at a summit on March 7 in Brussels as part of ongoing efforts to implement a joint action plan on illegal migrants with both sides expected to voice expectations from each other.
While European leaders will push Turkey to agree to “large-scale” deportations of economic migrants fromGreecein order to reduce the huge of flow of migrants into the EU the Turkish government will ask the EU to fulfill its commitments on visa liberalization and re-energize stalled accession talks outlined at an earlier summit held in November 2015.
The summit will bring Davutolu together with leaders from 28 EU leaders including MerkelFrenchPresident François Hollande and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
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