- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Turkey Getting 'Further and Further Apart' From EU - Czech Prime Minister

© AFP 2023 / BELGA / DIRK WAEMBohuslav Sobotka, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, speaks to the press during a high-level meeting on the fight against social dumping and free trade in the European Union, in Brussels, on June 25, 2015
Bohuslav Sobotka, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, speaks to the press during a high-level meeting on the fight against social dumping and free trade in the European Union, in Brussels, on June 25, 2015 - Sputnik International
Subscribe
Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said that there is a need for closer coordination with Turkey on such pressing challenges as the migration crisis facing Europe.

Volunteers help migrants and refugees on a dingy as they arrive at the shore of the northeastern Greek island of Lesbos, after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey on Sunday, March 20, 2016 - Sputnik International
EU-Turkey Migrant Exchange Scheme to Come Into Force Monday - EU Commission
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Turkey has been drifting away from the European Union in recent years and the bloc’s communications with Ankara need to be reinforced, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said in a speech at the Brookings Institution on Thursday.

"In the past few years, as a result of some of the events in Turkey, Turkey has been getting further and further apart from Europe," Sobotka stated.

The prime minister noted that Ankara plays an important role in stabilization of the region "and therefore there is a need to reinforce our communication with Turkey."

Sobotka also said there is a need for closer coordination with Turkey on such pressing challenges as the migration crisis facing Europe.

Refugees walk along a beach before trying to travel to the Greek island of Chios from the western Turkish coastal town of Cesme, in Izmir province, Turkey, in this March 5, 2016 file photo. - Sputnik International
EU-Turkey Migrant Deal Under Threat as Doubts Grow Over Processes
He noted that the EU has not been discussing fully cancelling visas for Turkish citizens with Ankara. At present, the authorities are negotiation potential withdrawal of short-term Schengen visas, which allow three-month entrance into the European Union.

Sobotka underscored that Turkey has not yet fulfilled all the conditions needed to carry out the cancellation, adding that Ankara signaled its intention to implement the needed changes.

On March 18, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey hopes that the visa-free process for its citizens traveling to the European Union will be implemented before the end of June 2016.

The European Union should be prepared to address the problem of radicalization of second and third generations of Muslim immigrants, according to Bohuslav Sobotka.

"There is a big danger of radicalization of second and third generations of Muslim immigrants in Europe, and Europe has to be ready to respond to it," Sobotka stated.

Czech police officers with a dog observe the border between Greece and Macedonia near Gevgelija on February 8, 2016 - Sputnik International
Czech Police Practice Deterring Migrant Flows on Austrian Border
The prime minister argued that unlike younger generations, the first generation of Muslim immigrants has been successfully integrated into the EU society and labor market.

Sobotka underscored that the European Union should be more decisive at tackling problems like the present migrant crisis.

Europe has been beset the massive crisis, with millions of undocumented migrants fleeing their home countries in the Middle East and North Africa to escape violence and poverty. The majority of them arrive to the European Union through Turkish and into Greek territory.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала