Turkey flounders refugee issue: Corona exposes Erdogan’s games with Europe

Ahmed Sami Abdel Fattah

The dispute still exists between Turkey and the European Union over the issue of refugees, especially after Ankara broke the agreement that was concluded with Europe in March 2016. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan allowed refugees to cross Turkey’s borders towards Europe without the slightest restrictions, violating the terms of the agreement that was signed for Ankara to restrict the movement of refugees in exchange for EU countries providing financial support.

Greece hardest hit

Greece is the country most affected by Ankara’s open door policy due to its geographical proximity, which made it the first stop for refugees wanting to go to Europe.

In this regard, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sent a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, April 5, in which he condemned the Turkish position and demanded EU leaders to limit the financial support provided to Turkey.

Mitsotakis renewed his support for the idea of ​​signing a new agreement with Turkey regarding refugees, but he stressed at the same time that financial support must be linked to the numbers of refugees – an attempt by Greece to reduce the financial support provided to Turkey.

The letter prompted the Turkish Foreign Ministry to issue an official statement criticizing the Greek position, affirming that its dealing with the refugee issue is not subject to any financial considerations. The ministry added that Turkey has only received €2.7 billion out of the €6 billion the European Union had pledged to pay according to the 2016 agreement.

Brussels meeting

Erdogan visited Brussels in March to meet with EU leaders about a new agreement to stop the flow of refugees to Europe, where he received a clear message that Europe backs the idea of ​​providing fair support to Turkey, but at the same time rejects the exploitation of refugees to achieve political goals.

Mohamed Rabie, a researcher who specializes in Turkish affairs, confirmed to the Reference that the spread of the corona virus pandemic in Europe negatively impacted the refugee crisis, since the trump card that Erdogan uses to extort Europe financially and politically has become a heavy burden on his shoulders in light of the almost complete collapse of his country’s economy.

Rabie also stressed that the understandings between Turkey and Europe prior to the corona pandemic have gone in the wind, as there are reports that Ankara did not provide health care to Syrian refugees as had been promised to European countries.

Erdogan will use the refugee card in the near future to pressure Europe for money, especially in light of the economic losses incurred by the Turkish economy since the beginning of the pandemic, Rabie said. In addition, Erdogan desires to distract domestic and international public opinion from the main issue, which is the virus pandemic in Turkey, while standing before the Turkish people without providing effective health services.