EFDbackup: Because of the refugee crisis, Merkel had to hang out with Turkey’s autocrats whom in turn needed Western support for their decreasing legitimacy…

Monday, October 19, 2015

Because of the refugee crisis, Merkel had to hang out with Turkey’s autocrats whom in turn needed Western support for their decreasing legitimacy…

Merkel says ready to support Turkey EU accession process

EurActiv.com

Germany is ready to help drive forward Turkey’s European Union accession process, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday (18 October), extending support to Ankara in exchange for Turkish help in stemming the flow of refugees to Europe.

Merkel Links Turkey’s E.U. Hopes to Stemming Flow of Refugees

NYT > Turkey by By TIM ARANGO

The German chancellor said she would support accelerating the process of admitting Turkey to the European Union if the country cooperated in dealing with the influx of migrants into Europe.

MAIN FOCUS: EU and Turkey agree on refugee action plan | 16/10/2015

euro|topics

The EU and Turkey have agreed on an action plan for reducing the number of refugees arriving in the EU. Ankara is to improve its border control measures and in return the country will be declared a safe country of origin. The deal is a farce in view of all the human rights violations committed in Turkey, some commentators argue. Others lament that a common asylum policy is still a distant goal for the EU.

Merkel’s embrace of Turkey draws criticism from Bavarian allies

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open-door policy towards refugees and embrace of Turkey drew criticism on Oct. 19 from conservative allies, with one senior Bavarian politician warning against any consideration of European Union membership for Ankara.

In school on Syria border, Turkey’s challenges as EU gatekeeper are clear

So remote are their hopes of returning to Syria that even some of the teachers in the schools for refugees in Turkey quit to go to Europe.

Swiss parliament shifts to right in vote dominated by migrant fears

Swiss voters swung to the right in parliamentary elections on Oct. 18 dominated by concerns over Europe’s migrant crisis, with the country’s largest party winning a record number of seats.

How likely is civil war in Turkey?

open Democracy News Analysis – by Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh and Barzoo Eliassi

The recent and ongoing clashes taking place between members of the Kurdish and Turkish diasporas in Europe reflect the violent transnationality of this conflict.

Demonstration against the Turkish president Erdogan. Demotix/Elena Aquila. All rights reserved. The violent attack on a peaceful pro-Kurdish rally in Ankara on 10 October is shocking, heinous and not an anomaly. It is part of a broader historical and contemporary trend: Kurds have long been exposed to different forms and degrees of violence in Turkey and the wider Middle East.

Kurdish experiences of secular-Kemalist and Islamist rule in Turkey show that Kurds cannot rely on the current political framework in Turkey to achieve their political rights. This is because their political voices and claims are widely interpreted as undermining the forces that are assumed to maintain the unity and territorial integrity of Turkey. Kurdish voices – including those expressed in peaceful rallies – are perceived by many to be a direct challenge to ethnic Turks, unsettling their ability to be the spatial managers or governors of the Turkish state and the Turkish nation. Indeed, Turkey’s principle of political organization is best categorized as an ethnocracy: it ethnicizes citizenship and stipulates rights on ethnic bases.

British journalist found dead at Turkish airport

World news: Turkey | guardian.co.uk by Kevin Rawlinson