There are quite a number of people in Europe today, following yesterday’s EU-Turkey summit, who feel that Europe is “selling its soul” in the migrant deportation deal with Turkey.
Guy Maurice Marie Louise Verhofstadt, a member of the European Parliament and leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), captured the above sentiment in a press conference in Strasbourg. “There is a sentiment of discomfort,” he said, “on account of the fact that we are trying to shift our problems to Turkey. We are making a deal between EU and Turkey, and in the name of that deal we sacrifice some of our European principles.”
He reminded those present at the press conference that, some years ago, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and then President of France Nikolas Sarkozy had put an end to negotiation talks over Turkey’s accession to the EU.
“Today, while the condition in the country has deteriorated, we start again, with a touch of cynicism, negotiation talks regarding Turkey’s accession to the EU,” said the leader of ALDE.
Mr. Guy Verhofstadt also added that he plans to raise a number of key questions over the deal to EU’s Council and Commission.
According to Mr. Verhofstadt, it appears that with the deal made, the EU puts its borders at Turkey’s disposal, and wonders if this is congruent with the Geneva Treaty since the request for asylum is made to European countries.
He also raised the issue of the delay in protecting EU’s external borders, which Mr. Verhofstadt believes it can proceed without further legislation.
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