Turkey is no longer stopping refugees on the way to the EU - a father of the Turkey deal is now urgently warning. Gerald Knaus calls for an agreement with Erdogan, even if billions of dollars are required.
- Turkey has opened its borders to refugees on the way to the EU.
- The situation has worsened drastically since then, especially in Greece.
- One of the fathers of the Turkey deal, Gerald Knaus, warns of devastating consequences - and advocates an agreement with Erdogan worth billions.
Update 5.00 a.m .: The crisis at the borders of Turkey was also an issue on Tuesday evening in Markus Lanz's TV talk on ZDF . Both ex-Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) and Gerald Knaus , father of the Turkey deal, warned that the situation would worsen.
"Of course, we have to make a new agreement with Turkey if we don't want such pictures to continue to increase," said Gabriel, referring to videos from the island of Lesbos , which show clashes between the coast guard and incoming refugees, among other things Shots into the water had recently been fired by the coast guard. Lesbos has been in a state of emergency for some time. The island is now barely recognizable *.
On "Markus Lanz" (ZDF): Gabriel warns emphatically - "does not run as smoothly as in 2015"
Gabriel also saw problems dawning for Germany: "Incidentally, if we repeat again here in our country in 2015, I believe that things are not going as smoothly as it has been here so far," he emphasized.
Knaus campaigned for understanding of the position of Turkey and its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan . “99.5 percent” of the Syrians who have arrived there in recent years have remained in Turkey - also thanks to the EU's financial aid for the integration of the displaced.
Turkey crisis Topic at "Markus Lanz": Knaus horrified - "it shouldn't surprise anyone"
“The pressure on the government is growing in Turkey. These three and a half million people will stay, ”said Knaus moderator Markus Lanz . The EU has now failed to promise further funds and the continuation of the agreement.
Turkey had kept to the agreement for four years "because it worked for them, they need the money". "It should come as no surprise that the Turkish President will react if we stay out of it for months," cried Knaus. The current situation was "absolutely avoidable" - it was a "failure of European politics".
Migration: expert wants to eliminate "myth of mass invasion of Europe"
Knaus advocated a pragmatic approach to the situation. "It also includes realizing that this myth that Europe is exposed to the invasion of poor migrants is not true." In 2019, 115,000 people came across the Mediterranean. "We are not talking about a mass invasion", fewer people are currently coming to Europe from sub-Saharan Africa than 15 years ago.
Deterrence from bad conditions in refugee camps does not work, added Knaus. "That didn't scare anyone, people still come". Agreements with countries of transit and origin are necessary and a “vision based on realism”.
"Germany would be the biggest loser" - inventor of the Turkey deal calls for billions in agreement
Migrants on the Greek-Turkish border
© dpa / Panagiotis Balaskas
First report: Ankara / Berlin - In view of the Turkish border opening for refugees, migration researcher Gerald Knaus has called for a new EU refugee agreement with Ankara. Knaus told the newspaper Welt that the EU must conclude a second agreement with Turkey and pay the government in Ankara six billion euros to avert a new refugee crisis .
"I am sure that this will also be the demand of the Turks," said Knaus, who is the architect of the EU-Turkey refugee agreement of 2016. It had to be ensured that the Syrian refugees in Turkey lived relatively well and did not make their way to Europe.
Turkey deal canceled? Knaus warns: "Germany would be the biggest loser"
"Germany would be the biggest loser * if we cannot find an agreement," warned Knaus. In the past few days, several politicians had demanded that Germany "not be blackmailed" by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan *.
From the perspective of the migration researcher, however, time is of the essence. The agreement with Ankara had to be "best in the coming days". If the Greek authorities brought tens of thousands of people from the islands to the mainland, but there was no agreement with Turkey, this would "lead to an enormous pull effect". Then more people could make their way to Europe - and again more people would drown on the dangerous crossing , Knaus warned.
Turkey: Migration expert makes serious accusations against Greece - and the EU
The researcher made serious accusations against the Greek government. Their decision not to accept asylum applications for a month violates "international conventions, EU treaties and national law". It was a "very worrying precedent," said Knaus. "Really worrying" is that this is apparently accepted by the EU.
Due to the escalation of the military conflict in northern Syria , Turkey has not stopped refugees from entering the EU from its territory since the weekend. Greek security forces have since prevented thousands of migrants from crossing the border. Athens declared the highest alert level and declared that it would no longer accept asylum applications. A focal point is the island of Lesbos - the refugee camps have been overcrowded for a long time.
Turkey: borders open - Frontex plans to increase the Leyen
In view of the crisis, EU leaders visited the Greek-Turkish border area on Tuesday. Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen promised the government in Athens EU aid of 700 million euros and an increase in the use of the EU border protection agency Frontex.
Knaus already warned of a new crisis in February, "worse than 2015". In an interview with Munich's Merkur * in summer 2019, the researcher made a clear demand to Chancellor Angela Merkel.
AFP / fn
* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.