TURKEY-EU RELATIONS IN CONTEXT OF SYRIAN CRISIS: READMISSION AGREEMENT AND VISA LIBERALIZATION

Abstract

Internal disorder in Syria, started in 2011, led to mass population movements. Turkey, soon, became both a host and a transit country for migrants. 2015, when transitions to Europe heavily intensified, was the year of revival in terms of Turkey-EU relations. With Readmission Agreement, signed on March 18, 2016, both sides became solution partners of the migration crisis. But by virtue of the increasing number of the Syrians and the prolonging war, conditions and the perspectives started to change in years and aroused divergence both within Europe and Turkey. Despite Turkey committed its obligations in full, EU still unrealized its commitment of visa liberalization and there happened many problems in allocating promised financial support in time and properly. Combined with these; handling a humanitarian issue in a financial and political approach, has led to a shift in cooperation paradigm which had normally been supposed to be permanent and burden-sharing centered.

Keywords

• turkey
• european union
• readmission agreement
• visa liberalization
• syrian crisis
• refugee