European Union has approved an action plan for Turkey to lessen the flow of migrants to Europe.
Turkey has told requirements for stemming the flow as nearly 0.6 million migrants have reached the EU by sea so far this year, many of them travelling from Turkey to Greece before seeking to head elsewhere.
In a press conference in Brussels, President of the European Council Donald Tusk said he felt cautious optimism over the deal.
Reports in Bulgaria said that an Afghan man was shot dead while trying to enter Bulgaria from Turkey late on Thursday.
He was part of a large group of migrants trying to enter Bulgaria, an international news agency reported, quoting the interior ministry.
In the Brussels summit, European officials agreed to: an earlier introduction of visa liberalisation for Turks wanting to visit the EU’s borderless Schengen area; new chapters to be opened in Turkey’s EU accession negotiations; Turkey had also asked for $3.4bn in aid, something German Chancellor Angela Merkel said EU states were considering.
President European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said talks over the sum to be given to Ankara would continue with Turkish officials over the coming days.
Merkel will travel to Turkey at the weekend.
‘There is still a huge amount to do,’ Merkel said. ‘But you cannot say that we’ve achieved nothing.’
EU sources had said Greece, Cyprus and France were among the several countries who were cautious about rushing into an agreement with Turkey too quickly.
