Turkey, Greece foreign ministers plan to meet over refugees
The foreign ministers of Turkey and Greece are expected to meet and discuss a rise in the number of refugees who illegally cross Turkey into Greece.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias were expected to hold talks in Ankara on Tuesday.
The UN reported an increase in refugee arrivals from Turkey last month. It was the highest monthly record since the European Union (EU) and Turkey signed an agreement to stem the flow of the refugees into Europe back in 2016.
Based on the deal, refugees arriving in Europe via the Aegean Sea may be sent back to Turkey. For each refugee returned, the EU would take one Syrian refugee already settled in Turkey. The EU made several other commitments to Ankara, too, including financial aid, visa-free travel to the bloc for Turks, and progress in negotiations on its membership to the bloc.
Europe is facing an unprecedented influx of refugees, most of them fleeing conflict-ridden zones in Africa and the Middle East, particularly Syria.
Western policies are largely to blame for the refugee crisis facing Europe, many experts believe.
The Tuesday talks come amid tensions between Turkey and Greece on another issue. A court in Greece recently rejected a demand by Turkey for the extradition of eight Turkish soldiers who have fled into Greek territory following a failed coup attempt in Turkey last year. The decision sparked strong protests from Ankara.
Turkey has warned that it would cancel agreements with Greece on the repatriation of refugees if the renegade soldiers were not sent back.
Turkey and Greece are also at odds over territory and the situation in the technically-split Cyprus.
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