FROM the Bodrum peninsula in Turkey the Greek island of Kos is only four kilometres (2.5 miles) away. European tourists can make the 45-minute crossing comfortably for $19, while those fleeing evil in Syria and elsewhere must pay smugglers a minimum of $1,000 for a perilous night journey in a crowded boat. Turkey generously opened its borders after the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011. Nearly two million refugees are currently registered in the country, of which about 200,000 are housed in official camps, mostly in the south. A growing number are seeking a better life in the EU and are crossing over to Greece by the thousand every day, causing severe anxiety in parts of Europe and creating tensions along borders farther north. Not unreasonably EU leaders have turned to the Turkish government for help to stem the flow of migrants. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Brussels in early October to discuss security issues including borders. But his government has rejected an EU offer to reassign €1 billion ($1.12 billion) in aid for refugees. It also opposes opening new camps or setting up processing stations. Instead Turkey calls for the...
 |
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.economist.com |
