01-27-2017, 11:42 PM
*** 28-Jan-17 World View -- Furious Turkey threatens migrant deal over Greece's failure to extradite
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Furious Turkey threatens migrant deal over Greece's failure to extradite
****
![[Image: g170127b.jpg]](http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g170127b.jpg)
Turkish soldiers after landing in Greece on July 17 of last year (Reuters)
Greece's Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the extradition of eight
Turkish military officers sought by Ankara over the failed coup of
July 15 of last year.
On July 16, the day after the coup attempt, a Turkish military
helicopter landed unexpectedly in the Greek town of Alexandroupoli,
close to the Turkish border. Eight Turkish soldiers emerged from the
helicopter, asking for political asylum.
Turkey said that the eight soldiers were traitors, and demanded their
extradition.
It's been six months since then, and the asylum request is still
pending. However, on Friday, Greece's Supreme Court ruled against
extraditing them back to Turkey. The court said that there was on
evidence that they were involved in the coup attempt, and that they
were unlikely to get a fair trial in Turkey. The soldiers claim that
they would be killed if they returned to Turkey.
Turkey, on the other hand, claims that they provided documents and
other evidence that proves that the eight soldiers were involved, and
that Greece's refusal to extradite is a violation of international
law.
Turkish officials are furious:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"We will carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the
> impact of this decision - which we believe has been taken with a
> political motive - on our bilateral ties, co-operation in the
> fight against terrorism and on other bilateral and regional
> issues. ...
>
> There is a migration deal we signed, including a readmission deal
> with Greece, and we are evaluating what we can do, including the
> cancellation of the readmission deal with Greece."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
The readmission deal is one part of the EU-Turkey migrant deal signed
last year. Turkey agreed with the EU to take back all migrants and
refugees who cross to Greece illegally. In return, Turkey would
receive financial aid, visa-free travel for all Turkish citizens in
Europe, and an acceleration of negotiations for Turkey to join the EU.
Turkey and Greece also have an agreement on the readmission to Turkey
of illegal migrants.
The EU-Turkey deal has been extremely successful, in that it's reduced
the flow of migrants from Syria and Iraq into the EU from a torrent
into a trickle. The EU so far has refused to grant visa-free travel
to Turkish citizens, or to accelerate negotiations for Turkey to join
the EU.
Turkey has sometimes threated the "nuclear option" of cancelling the
entire deal. However, on this occasion, the threat appears to be far
less substantial -- just canceling the portion of the deal that
permits Greece to send refugees back to Turkey for readmission.
The EU is trying to play a balancing act with Turkey. The EU
desperately needs the migrant deal, since another influx of hundreds
of thousands of migrants would threaten the cohesion of the EU itself.
On the other hand, Turkish authorities have fired or jailed hundreds
of thousands of people since July, accusing them of supporting the
coup, while not supplying any evidence. These arrests have
particularly targeted journalists, teachers and police officers.
These massive firings and jailings have caused astonishment among EU
officials, raising human rights concerns to the point where visa-free
travel and EU membership are strongly rejected by many EU officials.
Hurriyet (Ankara) and Greek Reporter and BBC (19-Jul-2016)
Related Articles
****
**** Desperate EU officials still try to shut down Mediterranean migration route
****
Even if the EU-Turkey migrant deal remains intact, there could still
be hundreds of thousands of migrants traveling from Libya to Italy by
crossing the Mediterranean. The technique used by human smugglers is
to pack 40 migrants in a rubber dinghy that's supposed to hold no more
than 10 people, and send them out to sea off the coast of Libya.
They're told to call the Italian coast guard once they're in
international waters and ask to be saved.
Because of the instability in Libya, it's clear that there's no hope
of an EU-Libya deal as effective as the EU-Turkey deal.
Instead, EU officials are moving ahead with a plan to establish
refugee camps in Africa. When migrants are picked up from dinghies in
the Mediterranean, they'll be taken to these African refugee camps
rather than to Europe.
According to Germany's Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière, "The
people taken up by the smugglers need to be saved and brought to a
safe place. But then from this safe place outside Europe, we would
bring into Europe only those who require protection." RFE/RL and Russia Today and Reuters
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Turkey, Greece, Alexandroupoli,
Libya, Italy, Mediterranean Sea, Thomas de Maiziere
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Furious Turkey threatens migrant deal over Greece's failure to extradite
- Desperate EU officials still try to shut down Mediterranean migration route
****
**** Furious Turkey threatens migrant deal over Greece's failure to extradite
****
Turkish soldiers after landing in Greece on July 17 of last year (Reuters)
Greece's Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the extradition of eight
Turkish military officers sought by Ankara over the failed coup of
July 15 of last year.
On July 16, the day after the coup attempt, a Turkish military
helicopter landed unexpectedly in the Greek town of Alexandroupoli,
close to the Turkish border. Eight Turkish soldiers emerged from the
helicopter, asking for political asylum.
Turkey said that the eight soldiers were traitors, and demanded their
extradition.
It's been six months since then, and the asylum request is still
pending. However, on Friday, Greece's Supreme Court ruled against
extraditing them back to Turkey. The court said that there was on
evidence that they were involved in the coup attempt, and that they
were unlikely to get a fair trial in Turkey. The soldiers claim that
they would be killed if they returned to Turkey.
Turkey, on the other hand, claims that they provided documents and
other evidence that proves that the eight soldiers were involved, and
that Greece's refusal to extradite is a violation of international
law.
Turkish officials are furious:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"We will carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the
> impact of this decision - which we believe has been taken with a
> political motive - on our bilateral ties, co-operation in the
> fight against terrorism and on other bilateral and regional
> issues. ...
>
> There is a migration deal we signed, including a readmission deal
> with Greece, and we are evaluating what we can do, including the
> cancellation of the readmission deal with Greece."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
The readmission deal is one part of the EU-Turkey migrant deal signed
last year. Turkey agreed with the EU to take back all migrants and
refugees who cross to Greece illegally. In return, Turkey would
receive financial aid, visa-free travel for all Turkish citizens in
Europe, and an acceleration of negotiations for Turkey to join the EU.
Turkey and Greece also have an agreement on the readmission to Turkey
of illegal migrants.
The EU-Turkey deal has been extremely successful, in that it's reduced
the flow of migrants from Syria and Iraq into the EU from a torrent
into a trickle. The EU so far has refused to grant visa-free travel
to Turkish citizens, or to accelerate negotiations for Turkey to join
the EU.
Turkey has sometimes threated the "nuclear option" of cancelling the
entire deal. However, on this occasion, the threat appears to be far
less substantial -- just canceling the portion of the deal that
permits Greece to send refugees back to Turkey for readmission.
The EU is trying to play a balancing act with Turkey. The EU
desperately needs the migrant deal, since another influx of hundreds
of thousands of migrants would threaten the cohesion of the EU itself.
On the other hand, Turkish authorities have fired or jailed hundreds
of thousands of people since July, accusing them of supporting the
coup, while not supplying any evidence. These arrests have
particularly targeted journalists, teachers and police officers.
These massive firings and jailings have caused astonishment among EU
officials, raising human rights concerns to the point where visa-free
travel and EU membership are strongly rejected by many EU officials.
Hurriyet (Ankara) and Greek Reporter and BBC (19-Jul-2016)
Related Articles
- EU's expected scathing report on Turkey may scuttle refugee deal (09-Nov-2016)
- Turkey's Erdogan blames the EU for reneging on the refugee deal (23-Sep-2016)
****
**** Desperate EU officials still try to shut down Mediterranean migration route
****
Even if the EU-Turkey migrant deal remains intact, there could still
be hundreds of thousands of migrants traveling from Libya to Italy by
crossing the Mediterranean. The technique used by human smugglers is
to pack 40 migrants in a rubber dinghy that's supposed to hold no more
than 10 people, and send them out to sea off the coast of Libya.
They're told to call the Italian coast guard once they're in
international waters and ask to be saved.
Because of the instability in Libya, it's clear that there's no hope
of an EU-Libya deal as effective as the EU-Turkey deal.
Instead, EU officials are moving ahead with a plan to establish
refugee camps in Africa. When migrants are picked up from dinghies in
the Mediterranean, they'll be taken to these African refugee camps
rather than to Europe.
According to Germany's Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière, "The
people taken up by the smugglers need to be saved and brought to a
safe place. But then from this safe place outside Europe, we would
bring into Europe only those who require protection." RFE/RL and Russia Today and Reuters
Related Articles
- Mediterranean migrant traffic to Italy and Greece continues, despite cold weather (01-Dec-2016)
- In a new catastrophe, hundreds of migrants drown in the Mediterranean Sea (19-Apr-2016)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Turkey, Greece, Alexandroupoli,
Libya, Italy, Mediterranean Sea, Thomas de Maiziere
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
