Europe Put to the Test by Influx of Migrants

Daily Sabah, 2020

Executive Summary The European project has hit strong headwinds in tackling its most recent challenge. The refugee crisis has made institutional shortcomings and divisions between member states more visible than ever. The skyrocketing number of migrant deaths on European borders showed the world the European Union's failure to find a shared solution to the crisis. Although blamed for reacting too late, European leaders have been working on a solution to the refugee crisis, and the efforts have become more visible since the European Commission published its " European Agenda on Migration " in May 2015. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, on the one hand, has been playing a central role in convincing her European counterparts to formulate a common response. On the other hand, a mainly Eastern European group led by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been actively opposing nearly every facet of Merkel's plan. In an effort to break the political and institutional stalemate, Turkey was brought into the game and became a key partner in " solving " the problem. Although the EU signed and sealed the deal with Turkey, confrontation between the two opposing factions in Europe persists. The issue has become not only a humanitarian crisis but also another important test for European integration itself after the economic crisis. This paper unfolds the story of the European response to the refugee crisis and the central role Angela Markel has played in initiating this. The German Chancellor has always been a leading figure in the EU; however, her position has become even stronger against the backdrop of the refugee issue. This position, of course, has come with a price.

SETA Analysis, 2017

The migrant crisis that has stemmed from the ongoing strife in the MENA region is one of the most devastating and consequential crises of modern times. Its impact has been felt across continents, in countries such as Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan, along with European Union member states and the United States. In addition to unprecedented regional humanitarian challeng- es, the crisis shook Europe to its core by challenging its political institutions and humanitarian values. e rise of populism and Islamophobia in the West in general is closely associated with the migrant crisis that has pushed the capacity of countries to their limits. Perhaps no relationship has been more a ected by the refugee crisis than that between the European Union and Turkey. EU-Turkey relations have been strained and undermined by the migrant crisis to such a degree that it seems to have created a “make or break” moment in Turkey’s EU accession talks. is analysis outlines the process through which the EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan (JAP) on refugees came into being and examines the impact of the agreement, including its challenges and successes. It also seeks to under- stand how heightened tensions between the EU and Turkey will a ect the longevity and e ectiveness of the agreement.

Netherlands Journal of Legal Philosophy, 2016

HAPSc Policy Briefs Series, 2021

European immigration policy as a multilevel and polymorphic process, by definition, constitutes a complex phenomenon defined as a transcendent set of socio-economic and political processes that are considered to transform the present transnational treaty into a construct of multiple policies to be found between member states. Recently, it is accounted as a complex network of supranational interconnection in both economic and sociological terms to combat various refugee crises. This paper aims to address the inner dialogue regarding the Dublin contribution among others updated immigration policies, especially regarding the Greek and Turkish case, within the updated political turmoil to deal with. Therefore, it is crucial not to overlook the multicultural dimension as one of the most critical factors in understanding the political structure within developing the indicative path of socio-political relationship between member states, thus of variable factors to deal with, such as immigration, extremism etc. The consequences and extensions of this complex structure have already outlined a historical moment on a global or even humanistic scale. Member states are called to renegotiate their understanding of space, time, human rights either in an international or supranational environment; however, by confronting the vulnerability of modern democracies in a world of risks caused by democratic deficit; the lack of challenging with the dilemmas and responsibilities on a pan-European political perspective on immigration issues, indeed with respect on democratic terms. This paper will emphasize (on) which of existing policies and initiatives should be implemented to achieve common ground to overcome the multiple crises and will examine the particular role of Greece and Turkey on immigration and refugee issues, thus is of significance in developing an interdisciplinary dialogue that may contribute to the re-examination of the member states role within the contribution of the institutional and legal framework, in a new world of potential risks by rethinking the EU policies and why the “know how” should work.

2016

2021

This presentation was given within the context of the online webinar 'Past, Present and the Future of EU-Turkey relations in the context of Migration and Refugee Movements,' by the Student Forum of the Boğaziçi University Center for European Studies (CES).. My contribution was about Syrian refugees in Greece and how EU-Turkey, cooperation impacts their rights and also impacts Greece-Turkey relations. I discussed on the latest developments on refugee law and asylum policy in Greece including tension at the borders, suspension of asylum, safe third country concept, trial of humanitarians, recent jurisprudence on detention, violations of human rights, restriction of freedom of movement, violent pushbacks (2020-2021).

While hosting nearly three million Syrian refugees, Turkey feels that its generous refugee policy has been undervalued by the international community, and particularly by its European counterparts. In fact, this feeling has prevailed since the outbreak of the refugee flows from Syria in 2011. But it had peaked in the summer of 2015 at a time when the country was hosting 2.5 million refugees while the European countries, which were facing flows of a few thousands of Syrian refugees, were in panic closed their borders and blamed urkey and criticized it for its loose border control. It appears that as far as the Turkish position is considered, there have been a setting of “responsibility shifting” rather than that of “responsibility sharing”.