Ruben Safrastyan: EU-Turkey refugee deal will not live long

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS. Europe faces hardships due to refugees, and Turkey has a key geographic position. Director of the theInstituteofOriental Studies ofNational AcademyofSciences of Armenia, expert in Turkish studies Ruben Safrastyan told about this at “Armenpress” media hall, referring to the refugee agreement reached between Turkey and the EU. “Heads of European states demanded the EU to put a clear demand in front of Turkey for closing the border. Turkey proposed another solution, according to which not desirable refugees of Europe are returned to Turkey instead of closing the border. As a result, Turkey does not close the border, but agrees that part of those refugees are returned and receives billions for that and will receive more”, Ruben Safrastyansaid.

In his words, Europeans should not be taken for naives. Europe has done its own calculations. According to the expert, the deal will enter into force soon, but will not have a long life.

Referring to the issue that Turkey’s role has increased in Europe conditioned by the refugee crisis, and how it will impact the activities of Armenian National Committees (Hay Dat), Ruben Safrastyanmentioned that the political leaders of a number of European states conduct policy unfavorable for Armenia due to pressure by Turkey.

“In spite of that, the Armenian Genocide remains in the memories of Europeans thank to the hard work carried out by our compatriots. Now efforts are made to include the theme of the Armenian Genocide in the textbooks of European countries. It is a very important process”, the expert in Turkish studies said.

Large-scale forced returns of refugees from Turkey to war-ravaged Syria expose the fatal flaws in a refugee deal signed between Turkey and the European Union earlier this month, Amnesty International revealed today.

A new research carried out by Amnesty International in Turkey’s southern border provinces suggests that Turkish authorities have been rounding up and expelling groups of around 100 Syrian men, women and children to Syria on a near-daily basis since mid-January. Over three days last week, Amnesty International researchers gathered multiple testimonies of large-scale returns from Hatay province, confirming a practice that is an open secret in the region.

All forced returns to Syria are illegal under Turkish, EU and international law.