The presidents of the European Commission and the European Parliament cheer. jean Claude Juncker called on Greece to accept joint Greek-Turkish patrols on the Aegean, and claimed – probably with solidarity tears in his eyes – that the refugee crisis is “a European issue, it’s not an issue of Greek-Turkish relations.”
Speaking at the European Parliament in Brussels ahead of a two-day summit of European Union leaders on migration, Juncker asked Athens to rethink its position as the cooperation of the two countries’ naval forces, “under European auspices,” would be “very useful” in the Aegean.
He also described Turkey as “an important but difficult partner” and said that joint patrols of the Aegean were crucial as Turkey has become a gateway for hundreds of thousands of refugees. He suggested that Turkish authorities were open to the idea of joint patrols.
As the idea of joint patrols originated from Germany, Juncker found a devoted supporter to what he claims to be his own proposal.
German government spokesman Steffen Seibert stressed the need for a “coordinated situation” between Greece and Turkey in the Aegean and at the EU’s external borders to obstruct the activities of human smugglers.
EP President Martin Schulz could, of course, not stay out of the pressure towards Greece and tweeted:
.@JunckerEU proposal of EU Border Guard System is gaining support. @Europarl_EN already inserted a pilot project in this year's budget #EUCO
— EP President (@EP_President) October 15, 2015
What is extremely interesting is that Juncker’s call, Seifert’s coordinated intervention and Schulz’s enthusiasm come a day after the Greek Foreign Ministry categorically rejected the Joint Patrols with Turkey, saying that such patrols “were out of question.”
Even the Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos intervened in the issue and said that
“Cooperation to address the humanitarian crisis of war refugees in no way can mean discounts or concessions with respect to the sovereign rights of member states.”
The Euro Summit today that is focusing on the Refugee Crisis may turn into a hell for Greece and I wouldn’t be surprised if Juncker tells Tsipras: “you either accept the joint patrols or I cancel the 35-billion-euro package.” The much promised Juncker aid package that the EC -all of a sudden- announced today that will arrive in in Athens “tomorrow” meaning that the money will be released in fact “next week.”
Who has forgotten, German Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Steffen who had shot the first blackmail bullet bringing aid to Greece in close context of the refugee Crisis. Steffen that ”Greece had to “settle its refugee problem first, before any aid program is agreed.
“During the teleconference of finance secretaries on Friday night [7. August 2015], the German representative Thomas Steffen demanded that Greece had to get its refugee problem under control first, before the program could be resolved.
Other member states rejected the German proposal as “irrelevant.” (FAZ, Spiegelonline via KTG)
Arriving at the EUCO Summit earlier today, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said that
“Greece is ready to cooperate with Turkey on the basis of intentional law and Turkey’s accession process to EU. But first of all, we have to find solutions to try to stop the influx of refugees, to take decisions to solve the crisis in Syria.”
The recent statement by Greek foreign Ministry was making clear what Greece had in mind for a cooperation with Turkey: exchange of information, readmission of refugees by Turkey.
PS I try to recall when exactly Hungarian PM Orban called for the EU to protect Greece’s borders. Our partners got Orban’s proposals wrong as Turkey is not an EU member.
For sure Turkey wants to look under every rock in the Aegean to find refugees and figure “Whow, this island was not named in the Lausanne treaty, it must be Turkish.”
The EU-idiots haven’t heard of any announcement by the Greek foreign ministry and they also never heard of any of the 2000 times when Turkish forces hurt Greek sea- and airspace this year or that a warn-shot against a Turkish vessel had to be fired close to Andros.
Turkey wouldn’t do joint patrols together with Russia with the argument claiming that the Russians had hurt their airspace last week.
Greek and Turkish coast-guards are already cooperating and have taken their part in search and rescue operations that saved over 200.000 humans out of the water but that’s not enough? They speculate on a no-go and hope that much more refugees will drown instead of putting up reception centres in their embassies
of course, they have heard. but they have other interests. maybe sell specially designed joint patrols boats to Greece + Turkey?
If they hear something this direction they call it “Greek conspiracy theories” until Putin’s bombers will prove it via Turkish space and they are just too stupid to understand that the Turkish coastguard is part of Erdogun’s military force, if it would be police forces like in the north things would be easier but who knows may be they’ll put up a special Greek-Turkish police that needs boats.
At the moment they just don’t report Russians in their airspace anymore because that would lead into that Ankara continues to challenge Greece’s sovereign rights; just like nobody reported Andros because regarding their big mouth they are now losers that didn’t shot back.
😥Is he crazy! Is there no respect for history anymore . But I believe there is a nasty plan behind this. Of course, we can never make such an agreement with Turkey especially in this situation. Suicide!!!
wait until ISIS is running things in turkey…
i say perhaps 3 years should do it!
Tell them Greece signed that deal with “israel” so Greece will send reugees to israel instead of Turkey and cooperate with Tel Aviv. They should have no problem with that. Let Tel Aviv find space for them since they have actually interfered in Syria unlike Greece which stayed home.
Some people might say that Israel belongs on German ground not in Palestine.
Same people might say that Greece is part of the Ottoman Empire as it used to be for several centuries!
like half of austria