Turkey, EU discuss migrant road map ahead of summit

Turkey's foreign and EU ministers have met with ministers from across Europe in Istanbul to discuss the handling of the migrant crisis ahead of an EU ministers meeting in the Netherlands on April 11-12.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavu?o?lu and EU Minister Volkan Bozk?r hosted ministers from the Netherlands, which holds the EU presidency, France, Slovakia and Portugal on April 9.

"Preventing irregular migration and encouraging regular and controlled migration is one of the main subjects between the EU and Turkey," Çavu?o?lu said ahead of the meeting.

"We have a road map regarding this issue, which has been implemented since April 4, and we will continue to monitor the situation," he added.

The Turkish foreign minister said EU-Turkey relations "have gained a new momentum, and we are going through an intense process."      

Turkey and the EU have held three summits in recent months.   

Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, accompanied by Slovakian Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, French Secretary of State for European Affairs Harlem Desir and Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs Margarida Marques, said economic, energy, human rights, legal and foreign policies were among the topics discussed but the focus was on refugee issues.

"We have agreed we want to end the business of smugglers," Koenders said, adding the EU ministers had arrived in Turkey after visiting Greece to see preparations to implement the refugee deal struck between the EU and Turkey.      

The agreement allows for the return of "irregular migrants" to Turkey from Greece in exchange for Syrian refugees to be relocated within the EU. The resettlement program began on April 4.    
 
"I think we had a good beginning...