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Turkey blackmailing EU over refugee crisis, Czech president says

Tuesday, 15 March 2016 5:12 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 15 March 2016 5:44 PM ]

Czech President Milos Zeman (© AFP)

Czech President Milos Zeman accused Turkey Tuesday of blackmailing the European Union with demands for extra money in return for the handling of the flow of refugees on its territory into Europe.

“The EU's original proposal to Turkey was for three billion euros, now Turkey is asking six billion euros and there is talk... of about up to 20 billion euros,” Zeman said following talks with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda in Prague.

“Impolite people like me call that blackmail,” the 71-year-old Czech president stated.

Zeman also termed the uptick in the number of refugees into Europe “an organized invasion,” calling for the deportation of foreign workers and suspected terrorists.

Refugees rest as they return to a makeshift camp at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni, March 15, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

The Czech president said it is “practically impossible” to integrate Muslims into European societies.

Also on Tuesday, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said his country will demand Turkey’s “more efficient” cooperation on the refugee crisis during the EU summit in Brussels on March 18, warning against any attempt meant to “blackmail” the 28-member politico-economic bloc.

He added that France will not raise the number of refugees it is ready to take in beyond the current 30,000 mark.

On November 29, 2015, leaders from EU member states met with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and pledged to provide €3 billion (about $3.19 billion) to Turkey to help it handle more than two million refugees in the country.

EU leaders also promised to open fresh negotiations on Turkey's accession process to the European Union.

Refugees cross a river on their way to Macedonia from a makeshift camp at the Greek-Macedonian border near the Greek village of Idomeni, March 14, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

Last week, President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz said Ankara had requested an extra three billion euros to curb the refugee crisis.

Europe is facing an unprecedented influx of refugees who are fleeing conflict-ridden zones in Africa and the Middle East, particularly Syria.

Many blame major European powers for the unprecedented exodus, saying their policies have led to a surge in terrorism and war in Africa and the Middle East, forcing more people to flee their homes.

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