Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will discuss the problem of migration policies in relation to Syrian refugees, the situation in Syria, including after the start of Russia’s operation against the Islamic State terrorist organisation during his visit to Brussels. The talks are also expected to focus on the prospects for accelerating Turkey’s European integration.
For Turkey, which has received more than 2 million Syrians during the Syrian conflict, this problem tops the agenda and considerably affects the political situation. Ankara has spent more than $ 7 billion of budget funds to accommodate the migrants, getting from international organisations only about $400 million assistance - about half of the funds was provided by the European Union. At meetings with European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Erdogan is expected to once again raise the issue of this imbalance.
Turkish President also plans to discuss the progress of negotiations on Turkey’s accession to the EU. According to TASS, Ankara is an official candidate for EU membership and started negotiations on this issue back in 2005.
