Policy
15.03.2018

Two years EU-Turkey ‘deal’: Impact and challenges of a turbulent partnership

Two years have passed since the EU and Turkey sealed a ‘deal’ to halt large-scale migration to Europe. As numbers remained low, the public eye tended to turn to other theatres. New developments, however, call for a fresh look at the ‘EU-Turkey deal’, from controversies about the accession process to Ankara’s military involvement in Syria. This Policy Brief takes stock of the costly failure of the refugees swapping mechanism and the success of the aid package, and analyses perspectives for progress concerning the EU-Turkey Statement’s unfulfilled promises: a reform of the Customs Union, visa liberalisation and large-scale resettlement. In total, the practical result looks quite traditional: EU cash in return for border control.

Image: CC Türk Silahli Kuvvetleri, source: flickr.com