Merkel says EU could not have curbed immigration without Turkey deal in newly published book

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel argues in her recently published book that the European Union's efforts to control migration would have been impossible without cooperation with Turkey, while defending its controversial relationship with President Recep Tayyip Erdoan as essential to meet the “challenge” posed by the migration crisis. , reported the Turkish edition of Voice of America.

In his memoirs “Freiheit. Erinnerungen 19542021″ (Freedom. Memories 19542021), released Tuesday in 30 languages, Merkel, who resigned in 2021, provides insight into her contentious relationship with Erdoan and Turkey, a country she visited 12 times after took office in 2005.

The book, which traces her 16 years of leadership, offers a detailed overview of the historic migration deal between Turkey and the EU signed in March 2016, with Merkel saying no border controls or surveillance could have achieved what the Turkish partnership has accomplished in reducing dangerous crossings of the Aegean Sea.

Merkel explained in her book that she and Erdoan agreed to create a working group on the migration crisis at the United Nations summit in New York on September 25, 2015. Afterwards, she met with Erdoan and Ahmet Davutolu, then Prime Minister, in Istanbul in October. December 18, 2015, to draft an action plan to combat the irregular migration crisis.

On 18 March 2016, the European Council and Turkey reached an agreement to end the flow of irregular migration to Europe via Turkey. According to the agreement, all new irregular migrants and asylum seekers arriving from Turkey in the Greek islands and whose asylum application has been declared inadmissible must be returned to Türkiye. The EU promised 3 billion in 2016-2017 and another 3 billion in 2018-2019 to Turkey as part of the deal.

Merkel said in her book that looking at the map and the realities of the Aegean Sea, it was clear that developments could only be regulated and controlled with Turkey, and that there was no possibility of delay .

Without an agreement between the EU and Turkey, we would not have been able to permanently and sustainably reduce the number of people fleeing to their deaths, and thus put an end to the terrible deaths in the Aegean Sea, wrote Ms. Merkel, adding that there is no coherent agreement between the EU and Turkey. no action against smugglers at sea, no increased control and surveillance at our internal borders, no tall, high fences, as some believe, could reduce the number of people crossing the border.

Merkel, who has been criticized in Germany for being too lenient on Erdoan despite the latter's autocratic tendencies, said she believed Turkey had an important role to play if Europe was to meet the challenge of the migration crisis. and that is why she negotiated with Erdoan.

I saw Erdoan as a politician who could play a role not only in refugee policy, but also across the political spectrum,” she said.

Merkel, 70, known for her calm and unflappable leadership style, also discussed the dynamics of her relationship with Erdoan, in the 736-page autobiography co-written with her longtime adviser Beate Baumann.

When there was an agreement between us, he was very kind and called me “dear friend”. But when we disagreed, he constantly spoke against me, pointing out all kinds of contradictions,” she wrote.

Visa liberalization

Merkel also said that visa liberalization for Turkish citizens in Europe was a very important issue for Erdoan in exchange for cooperation on the migrant issue, but it did not materialize.

The EU has committed to extending visa liberalization to Turkey, subject to compliance with certain requirements, such as amending Turkey's anti-terrorism laws, and to opening additional chapters in Turkey's accession process to the EU. This commitment was made within the broader framework of cooperation on migration control and mobility management. The lifting of the Schengen visa requirement for Turkish nationals was linked to Turkey's compliance with 72 specific conditions outlined in the “Roadmap towards the visa-free regime.”

Turkey, however, refused to revise its anti-terrorism laws, which Brussels said were not compatible with European justice standards, thereby blocking the visa liberalization part of the deal.

Photo in golden thrones

In her book, Merkel also discusses in detail the criticism she faced in Germany over photos taken during a meeting with Erdoan at the Yldz Palace in Istanbul in October 2015. The golden thrones on which the leaders sat were at the center of much criticism in Germany. media, with many accusing Merkel of giving Erdoan the opportunity to act like a monarch. She said he was more focused on the content of the meeting than the layout of the rooms and that the meeting helped keep more refugees out of Europe.

“My visit to Istanbul was severely criticized. Two chairs, or rather two golden thrones, were responsible. Erdoan sat on one and I on the other. We sat in these chairs not only during the photographers' segments but also during our conversation. I thought it was great, but I didn't focus on the situation outside. Instead, I focused on what I wanted to achieve content-wise.

“But then it was written that a picture is worth a thousand words, that I would cower before Erdoan like a monarch in his palace and would even lower myself to the ground before him if necessary. We were about to sign a deal with Turkey that could have kept more refugees away from us. Worse still, given that this visit took place two weeks before the Turkish parliamentary elections, I was also accused of using my visit to gain electoral support for Erdoan's Justice and Development Party .”

In response to the criticism, Merkel expressed frustration, saying she found the criticism outrageous and partly dishonest because everyone expected her to act to stop the flow of refugees to Europe, but was against his negotiation with Erdoan.

“On the one hand, politicians from right to left have rightly said that I should not organize the movement of asylum seekers to Northern Europe via the Aegean Sea, Greece, the Balkan routes and Austria, and that I must do everything in my power. to control it. On the other hand, they said: “Don't cooperate with the autocrat in Ankara, and if you do, keep him out of the elections.” It was a cheap attitude.