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Welcome, 77 artists, 40 different points of Attica welcomes you by singing Erotokritos an epic romance written at 1713 by Vitsentzos Kornaros

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

EU-Turkey migrant deal; how much is Europe ready to pay?

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders are lauding it as a breakthrough; Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says it's bold; but it is still too early to say whether an in-principle agreement thrashed out between EU and Turkish leaders announced early Tuesday is the answer to all of Europe's refugee woes. In exchange, the EU would accept thousands of Syrian refugees, bringing them in by safe routes and keeping them out of dangerous boats and out of the hands of traffickers. Turkey would take back migrants who are picked up in the Aegean Sea that separates Turkey from Europe or who have arrived in Greece but have not applied for asylum there. The Europeans hope it will bring order to the chaotic migrant movements of recent months and end the unilateral tightening of borders instigated by some countries. The EU had already promised Turkey 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion), fast-track EU membership talks and the swift easing of visa rules for Turkish citizens. On top of that, Turkey has revived a demand for the Europeans to back a "safe area" in northern Syria so that people there would not flee in the first place. Rights group say few are sheltered by the government and that the overwhelming majority are staying with Turkish citizens or living rough.


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