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Europe Tries to Save Turkey Migrant Deal, Amid Humanitarian Crisis Fears

Dorian Jones

   ISTANBUL - Senior German and European Union officials have finished a
   two-day visit to Turkey to save a migrant deal in an effort to avert a
   humanitarian crisis.

   The number of migrants entering Greece from Turkey continues to surge,
   following a threat by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to open
   the borders to Europe.

   German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, EU migration commissioner
   Dimitris Avramopoulos and French ambassador to Turkey Charles Fries
   held meetings that began Thursday with senior Turkish ministers.

   "Productive and frank," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said
   Friday in describing the talks. "We said that migration is a
   humanitarian issue, and our cooperation should continue. Also, we laid
   out our expectations from the EU."

   "There is an urgent need to control the departures from Turkey,"
   commissioner Avramopoulos said, as the increasing numbers of refugees
   and migrants arriving on the Greek islands are causing alarm within the
   EU.

   "I appreciate the work already done by Turkey, especially as the
   migratory pressure on Turkey continues," he added, speaking at a joint
   press conference Thursday evening with the Turkish and German interior
   ministers and the ambassador.

   "Without your solidarity, the migration problem in our region would not
   have been overcome," Seehofer said.

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