Turkey seeks to play the role of Europe's wall against migration waves again[/QUOTE]
Turkey seeks to play the role of Europe's wall against migration waves again, sending a message to the new government in Berlin that it is it that regulates the flows and that it is it that protects the EU and not Greece.
Turkey is currently building a wall along its border with Iran to intercept any new flows of migrants from Afghanistan.
This wall will cost €100 million, while Ankara is hosting 4 million refugees on Turkish territory. But public opinion in the country has begun to get angry about the refugee issue, which is combined with the economic crisis, and as a result, incidents of racist violence have become very frequent.
But Ankara will also play the migration card very strongly with the new German government, highlighting the fact that it is the only country in the world that hosts such a large number of refugees under good conditions, a fact that resonates positively in Berlin with both the previous and the current German leadership.
A few days ago, German media were in Turkey and the Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister, Farouk Kamaikci, spoke to journalists - naturally sending a message to Berlin.
As he told Spiegel magazine, "the Turkish government is not satisfied. The border between Europe and NATO does not run along Greece, but extends along Turkey."
The message to Berlin is clear. "It is we, not Greece, who hold the immigration spigot in our hands."
The Turkish government has already received €6 billion from the EU. Also, its border posts on the border with Iran are co-financed by the EU.
Turkey is again asking for funds from Europe, a new agreement on migration, the revitalization of course of the Customs Union and the long-standing demand for visa liberalization for Turkish citizens who want to travel to the EU.
All of the above the new German government and especially the Foreign Ministry have put all of this in question. Turkish-German relations will be put on a new footing and this has particularly alarmed Ankara.
This is why we also see the reported messages on migration.
As Spiegel points out, "President Erdogan put pressure on the Europeans in the spring of 2020 by bringing thousands of migrants to the border with Greece. Kaimakci, has no intention of making similar threats with regard to migration from Afghanistan. As he says, "reminding the EU of its obligations is not a threat". Turkey is certainly seeking to pay dearly for its role as Europe's firewall."
Another issue that worries the Turkish government in relation to Germany is the arms issue.
The Green Foreign Minister, Annalena Verbok, in her answer to the German Parliament, set out clearly the objectives of the new arms export policy. As she stated "a new law is currently being planned that will set specific standards and rules for the export of German weapons systems outside the EU. An important factor will be whether the country to which the German weapons are exported respects human rights and does not intend to use them to oppress its citizens. Economic interest should not be the primary consideration in these matters."
These statements ring a bell in Turkey, as the co-production of the U-240 submarines is still in progress, a co-production that is expected to be completed in 2027, but is currently up in the air, awaiting final decisions by the new German government.
It should be noted that these exports are also the responsibility of the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Development, where the co-chairman of the Greens, Robert Habeck, is currently Minister. For Habeck it will be difficult to continue to give free rein to German arms exports to Turkey.
At the same time, of course, there are strong reactions to Burbock's statements from representatives of the German arms industry who point out that with their statements the Greens and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are dealing a strong blow to this industry, reducing its competitiveness compared to other countries, sending thousands of workers into unemployment and claiming that these countries will turn to other sectors of industry.
At the same time, there are strong reactions to Burbock's statements from representatives of the German arms industry who point out that with their statements the Greens and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are dealing a strong blow to this industry, reducing its competitiveness compared to other countries, sending thousands of workers into unemployment and claiming that these countries will turn to other sectors of industry. CNA
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