Turkey wants EU to open key chapter before re-admission

As German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits Turkey for another round of talks about Syrian migrants, Ankara calls on the European Union to open up a key chapter of membership negotiations before the re-admission agreement concerning immigrants comes into effect in June.

Turkey's EU Affairs Minister and Chief Negotiator Volkan Bozk?r told Hürriyet Daily News that it was the EU Council's responsibility to fulfill the commitment made by the EU Commission and he believed "they would find a way to do that."

"Like they agreed to allocate a 3 billion [euro] package for hosting Syrian migrants in Turkey" Bozk?r said. "The EU has to open the 24th chapter before June when the re-admission [agreement] comes into effect." Bozk?r did not give answer the question about how Turkey could respond if the EU fails to open the 24th chapter, repeating that Ankara believed the EU would have to find a way.

The 24th chapter of negotiations carries the title "Justice, Freedom and Security." It is among the six chapters the Turkish government wanted the EU to open immediately when the council asked in October 2015 for Turkey's cooperation to handle the Syrian migrant flux. Merkel flew to Istanbul right after the council on Oct. 18 to meet President Tayyip Erdo?an and Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu. 

In a joint press conference with Davuto?lu, Merkel had acknowledged a four step package, involving the 3 billion euro budget for refugees, Turkey's return to top EU mechanisms after a freeze of nearly 10 years, free travel for Turkish citizens within the Schengen system as the re-admission is in effect and reactivation of the integration process by opening up negotiation chapters, six of these chapters having priority. Besides the 24th chapter, there are the 15th...