Is the new Sultan the honest partner to trust?

With the refugee crisis escalating further along Europe’s borders, a delegation of the European Union has met with Turkish diplomats to find a common solution to the problem.

The action plan that was agreed to by representatives of Turkey and the European Union consist of five central points.

1. Turkey will close its borders, thereby stemming the flood of refugees pooring into the European Union

2. The EU will support Turkey with financial assistance to the tune of € 3 billion

3. From fall 2016, Turks will be able to travel visa-free to the countries of the EU. This is contingent upon Turkey meeting a set of provisions that goes along with open border rules in the EU.

4. Turkey will take back Turkish asylum seekers that were denied in EU countries

5. The negotiations for a Turkish EU-mebership will proceed with new steam.

While there has been great reluctance on the part of European heads of state to make a deal with President Erdogan’s government, the crisis has now forced them to work with Ankara. It is however unlikely that all of the points agreed to now will actually be carried out. This might just end up being a deal where Turkey closes its borders in return for cash payments, with all the lofty promises of future collaboration soon forgotten by both sides.