Opinion: The EU's grubby and dangerous deal with Turkey
http://www.dw.com/en/opinion-the-eus-grubby-and-dangerous-deal-with-turkey/a-19127877
The EU has finally agreed on its elusive goal: a European solution to the refugee crisis. And it turns out to be the Turkish solution that Chancellor Merkel came up with as a last political resort, says Barbara Wesel.
Opinion: The EU's grubby and dangerous deal with Turkey
Barbara Wesel
18.03.2016
The agreement with Ankara is a kind of political success for Angela Merkel. It gives her much-needed room to maneuver within Germany, particularly after the rise of the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Her approval ratings have already risen and she can now counter all attacks by pointing out that the flow of refugees into Germany will have effectively stopped. And she will also regain some standing within the EU, appearing as the savior of unity.
High price
But what a price Europe is paying for this deal. It effectively outsources the protection and care of the majority of refugees from the Middle East to Turkey. On paper, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will commit to keeping international legal obligations and respecting the rights of refugees in accordance with the Geneva Convention. But since when is the autocrat in Ankara known for keeping his promises?
The EU, however, will have lost all leverage should Turkey begin to push people back into Syria or Iraq - or if it leaves them begging and starving in the streets of Izmir and Istanbul. Once the visa liberalization is granted, the Europeans will be mere onlookers in this drama. They may criticize the Turkish government and remind it of the details of the deal but Sultan Erdogan can disregard their entreaties, as he ridicules all admonishments to respect freedom of the press, opposition rights and demands to restart peace talks with the Kurds.