BRUSSELS—Turkish premier Ahmet Davutoglu warned there would be no “bargaining” over the plight of refugees as he entered crunch talks Friday with EU leaders about plans to curb the unprecedented numbers reaching Europe.
Davutoglu threw down the gauntlet to the leaders who overnight forged a common position including “red lines” that they will present to him at the talks in Brussels led by European Council President Donald Tusk.
“For Turkey, the refugee issue is not an issue of bargaining but an issue of values, humanitarian values as well as European values,” Davutoglu told reporters as he arrived for the summit.
European Union leaders agreed late Thursday on what was described as a common position but gave no new detail about the proposals, including a key provision that Turkey provide human rights guarantees for the migrants it takes back from Greece.
Europe is counting on the agreement to curb an unprecedented wave of migrants, 1.2 million of whom have arrived since the start of 2015, fueled by the war in Syria, but Turkey has made clear it will exact a heavy price for its consent.
Despite concerns in many EU states about Ankara’s rights record, it has demanded an acceleration of its long-stalled bid for EU membership, billions of euros in extra aid and visa-free travel.
Critics have also raised concerns that the deal could violate international law that forbids the mass deportation of refugees.
The migrant crisis has left Europe increasingly divided, with fears that its Schengen passport-free zone could collapse as states reintroduce border controls and concerns over the rise of populist parties on anti-immigration sentiment.
Some European leaders voiced concerns that the deal — under which the EU would take in one Syrian refugee from Turkish soil in exchange for every Syrian taken back by Turkey from Greece — would be illegal.
An EU-Turkey draft statement obtained by AFP refers to “Turkey’s commitment that migrants returned to Turkey will be protected in accordance with international standards”.
The aim of the “one-for-one” deal is to encourage Syrians to apply for asylum in the EU while they are still on Turkish soil, instead of taking dangerous smugglers’ boats across the Aegean Sea.
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said Thursday the plan was “very complicated, will be very difficult to implement and is on the edge of international law”.