EU attempts to make new deal with Turkey as relations deteriorate

April 26, 2017 by Chris Anyfantis Leave a Comment

Press conference by Dimitris Avramopoulos and Vĕra Jourová, Members of the EC Date: 12/04/2017. Location: Brussels – EC/Berlaymont. © European Union , 2017. Source: EC – Audiovisual Service. Photo: Jennifer Jacquemart

The EU foreign ministers gather in Malta on Friday to discuss about the future relations with Turkey a few days after Erdogan’s narrow and controversial victory in the Turkish referendum. It seems that the EU officials and leaders start fearing that the Turkish president will materialise his threats about abandoning the EU-Turkey refugee deal in case the EU will not accept visa deliberations for the Turkish citizens and restart EU-Turkey accession talks. Thus, it is in the intention of the EU to act swiftly and Johannes Hahn plans to move towards a new customs agreement and officially suspend the Turkey’s accession talks. Will the EU member states agree to support such an action the moment that Erdogan gains wide constitutional powers? Turkish economy shrinks As Turkey and the rest of the world are trying to absorb the immediate effects of the Turkish referendum, the Turkish economy is not showing encouraging signs. While the budget deficit increased, the unemployment rate reached 13% in the three months to February compared last year’s 11,1% according to Statistics Institute. However, Turkish stocks hit all time high on April 17 caused by the relief of the country’s referendum and expectations for more certainty and stability. More specifically, the Borsa Instanbul 100 Index rose 1,5% to 93.802,81 points revealing that investors look for riskier assets as Turkish stocks are among the top five performers in global equity markets in 2017. Furthermore, the Turkish lira picked at 3,64 against the U.S. dollar on April 17 short after the outcome of the Turkish referendum. The investors are looking for a more stable environment as the lira has lost 4% of its value since the beginning of the year making it the worst performing currency in 2017. Will EU-Turkey deal be modified? Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, is planning to ask for a mandate from the EU Foreign Ministers on Friday to change the agreement with Turkey suspending the accession talks. The Commissioner supports that the current status quo is not working for either side and it is time to rethink and reschedule EU-Turkey collaboration. More in detail, Mr Hahn mentioned that: “The current situation is not sustainable, neither for them nor for us. We should say OK, let’s clean the table [of] everything we had and look [at] what could be the future kind of co-operation”. The EU seems to be looking for a solution to keep the relations with Turkey alive the moment that the Turkish president is very soon going to gain more powers. The accession talks are off the table but a new trade deal which will include industrial goods may be on the way. However, it is certain that the negotiations, if agreed by the majority of the EU countries, will be long and fierce. Turkey threatens the EU again The migration pact that was signed last year between the EU and Turkey is jeopardized by the outcome of the referendum and its future consequences. The possibility that Turkey will reinstate the death penalty and demand visa-free travel within the EU’s Schengen area is most likely since the Turkish president is about to receive additional powers. The Turkish Minister for EU affairs stated on this issue on CNN Turk last Saturday that Turkey must be warranted visa deliberations by the EU by the end of May in order not to put the refugee deal at risk. Omer Celik specifically said: “If they accept our proposal, the [refugee] deal will be completed in a positive way, otherwise it will come to a standstill”. EU-Turkey relations at risk Both sides have realized that the current situation is not working. The outcome of the referendum was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Only yesterday, a leading EU human rights body voted to re-open the monitoring procedures in Turkey in fear of the constitutional modifications that are about to take place as a result of Erdogan’s win on April 16. However, the Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim characterised the decision as politically motivated and mentioned that his government will act against this decision. Furthermore, Binali Yildirim stated that relations between the EU and Turkey have reached “the most negative level possible”. All in all, the situation seems to be critical as it is a matter of time till amendments are legislated empowering the Turkish president. The EU will have to find a solution persuading Turkey not to start sending migrant flows to the Old Continent deteriorating the refugee crisis the moment Brexit negotiations have just started between the EU and UK.

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Countries adopted on Saturday a new global blueprint for tackling rapidly evolving forms of crime, as the UN’s largest gathering on crime prevention and criminal justice opened in Abu Dhabi with a call for stronger international cooperation. The Abu Dhabi Declaration was adopted by acclamation at the opening of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, bringing governments together around challenges ranging from cybercrime and fraud to the growing criminal exploitation of digital technology. The Declaration highlights an increasingly complex landscape in which services, infrastructure and technology can be exploited by criminals, including emerging trends described as “crime as a service” and “violence as a service”. At the same time, countries committed to making greater use of technology themselves, including by digitalizing justice systems and harnessing artificial intelligence in criminal justice responses. The Declaration stresses that safeguards must accompany those changes, including human oversight, transparency, due process and data protection. ‘Justice cannot be a privilege’ In a video message to the Congress, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said the meeting was taking place at a time of profound change. “Justice cannot be a privilege. It must protect every person, uphold every person’s rights and leave no one behind,” said Ms. Mohamed. “This Congress is an opportunity to renew our shared commitment to justice and the rule of law, and to translate that commitment into action.” Countries are already being encouraged to put the Declaration into practice through the voluntary Pledge4Justice initiative, under which participating governments are announcing concrete, time-bound actions on crime prevention and criminal justice through 2031. The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre with its curved glass tower and surrounding buildings reflected in calm water at dusk. UNODC The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre where the 15th UN Crime Congress is set to take place. From Kyoto to Abu Dhabi Opening the Congress, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Executive Director Monica Juma framed the gathering as both a response to a changing criminal landscape and a test of international cooperation. “Today, the world convenes in Abu Dhabi to reaffirm that the rule of law and criminal justice are essential to the safety and security of people and the planet,” said Ms. Juma. “At a time when confidence in multilateralism is faltering, let Abu Dhabi be a testament to international cooperation.” Five years after the previous Congress in Kyoto, Japan, Ms. Juma said the world had reached another “inflection point”, with technology and artificial intelligence advancing at extraordinary speed. The same platforms connecting billions of people can also connect criminals, she warned, while digital currencies can conceal illicit profits and digital tools can be used to deceive, manipulate and exploit. Technology, she argued, is not simply accelerating crime but changing its character, while organized criminal networks increasingly exploit weaknesses across borders and institutions. Tweet URL Protecting people as the ‘north star’ Behind those broad trends, Ms. Juma urged delegates to focus on the people most exposed to harm, including children recruited by gangs, women facing violence at home or online, people unable to obtain legal assistance and young people lured into scam networks with promises of a better future. “Protecting these people must be the measure against which we judge our efforts over the coming week,” she said. “It must be our north star.” She called for laws and institutions capable of keeping pace with changing threats, greater access to justice and legal aid, and technology that serves as “a force for good” rather than an accelerator of harm. And while welcoming the Abu Dhabi Declaration as a starting point, Ms. Juma stressed that its impact would ultimately depend on implementation. A week focused on justice Hosted by the United Arab Emirates, the Congress runs through 1 October under the theme Protecting People and Planet in the Digital Age. Some 119 countries are represented, alongside more than 40 justice ministers and other senior officials, with over 5,100 participants from governments, civil society, academia and the private sector. Plenary meetings, workshops, side events and exhibitions will run throughout the session. Organizers are also billing this as the most youth-inclusive Crime Congress yet. Young people are participating in workshops, contributing to follow-up efforts and taking part in a dedicated Youth Lab and art exhibition, following a Youth Forum held ahead of the Congress on 24 and 25 September. UNODC serves as secretariat of the Congress and will support implementation of the Abu Dhabi Declaration.

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