BRUSSELS: Turkish premier Ahmet Davutoglu warned there would be no “bargaining” over the plight of refugees as he met EU leaders on Friday in bid to clinch a deal to curb the unprecedented numbers reaching Europe.
Davutoglu threw down the gauntlet to the leaders who overnight forged a common position including “red lines” that they will present to him at talks in Brussels led by European Council President Donald Tusk.
“For Turkey, the refugee issue is not an issue of bargaining but an issue of values, humanitarian values as well as European values,” Davutoglu told reporters as he arrived for the summit.
Underscoring tension with Brussels, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the Europeans of supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) days after a bombing in Ankara claimed by Kurdish rebels that killed 35 people.
“European countries are paying no attention, as if they are dancing in a minefield,” Erdogan said in Ankara.
Turkey has demanded an acceleration of its long-stalled bid for EU membership, billions of euros in extra aid and visa-free travel in return for taking back all irregular migrants coming to Greece, the main entry point to Europe.
