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Turkish president Erdogan is a duplicitous schmuck for sure, but he learned from the best: the USA.
The EU and Turkey have agreed on an "action plan" that might give Ankara up to €3 billion ($3.4bn) in aid, visa privileges and new talks on Turkey-EU membership in return for its help in stemming the flow of refugees to Europe.


Comment: This is a very interesting, if entirely anticipated, development. Two weeks ago, Euro Council President Donald Tusk, said at a European forum in Poland:
"For the first time in my political career I have heard politicians openly declaring that the refugees heading to Europe are their method of getting (us) to act a certain way"
Now Tusk reveals exactly who those "foreign politicians" are by offering the Turkish government a boat-load of cash and what the Turks have been demanding for almost 50 years: entry into the EU. Of course, the Turkish government is largely an ally of and, to a certain extent, beholden to the Washington elite, who are very content when Europe is 'destabilized' and therefore less able to defy Washington's dictates.


The EU summit in Brussels stretched into the early hours of Thursday, and seems to have achieved some results. While no final deal has been inked, EU leaders and Ankara have managed to agree an "action plan", European Council President Donald Tusk told reporters.

"Our intensified meetings with Turkish leaders ... in the last couple of weeks were devoted to one goal: stemming the migratory flows that go via Turkey to the EU. The action plan is a major step in this direction," said Tusk.

The deal's terms included three billion euros ($3.4 billlion) in aid, the easing of visa restrictions for EU travel for Turkish nationals, and resurrecting negotiations for EU membership. Turkey also wanted to be included on the list of "safe countries" for asylum.

In return, Turkey promised to strengthen its border controls, greater co-operation with Greece, being another first destination for refugees fleeing war, instability and poverty in the Middle East.

In exchange for visa-free access for its citizens, Ankara would agree for the previously drafted readmission deal, meaning that Turkey would take back those asylum seekers, who entered the EU from its territory.

"We will not sign the readmission agreement before steps are taken on the Schengen visa and thus a visa liberalization is secured for Turkish citizens," Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in an interview before the summit. According to Davutoglu, Turkey would like the deal by the first half of 2016.

While Turkey wants EU to show good will addressing the free-visa travel, European leaders want proof that Turkey will live up to its pledges, as part of the deal would see Turkey increase its crack down on people-smugglers.

"We need guarantees that Turkey's response to our offer will be as concrete and as substantive as ours," European Council President Donald Tusk said.

To cement the potential deal Merkel is set to visit Istanbul on Sunday.