- Title: EU's cooperation with Turkey 'a great dilemma' - Tusk
- Date: 9th October 2019
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (OCTOBER 9, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PEOPLE GATHERED AT ATHENS DEMOCRACY FORUM VARIOUS OF EUROPEAN UNION COUNCIL PRESIDENT, DONALD TUSK, SPEAKING WITH AUDIENCE MEMBERS TUSK WALKING TO PODIUM AND ADDRESSING AUDIENCE VARIOUS OF AUDIENCE SEATED PEOPLE MINGLING AFTER TUSK'S SPEECH TUSK SPEAKING WITH AUDIENCE MEMBER AFTER HIS SPEECH (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN UNION COUNCIL PRESIDENT, DONALD TUSK, SAYING: "The situation is really, really complex. We have two, at least two urgent issues with Turkey. It's migration, of course, the migration crisis and the new wave of influx, also here, mainly to Greece. But also there's there's illegal drilling offshore, Cyprus... It's a great dilemma for the whole EU, how to continue our cooperation with Turkey on migration because this is what we need and what we want. I think it's in our common interest, but at the same time, especially, it's my obligation as president of the European Council, we want and we will protect also Cyprus as our member-state." / TUSK LEAVING
- Embargoed: 23rd October 2019 19:14
- Keywords: European Council President Donal Tusk Turkey EU migrant crisis illegal offshore drilling
- Location: ATHENS, GREECE
- City: ATHENS, GREECE
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B0DLWEF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: European Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday (October 9) that increased migration flows and offshore drilling were the two "urgent" issues the European Union and Turkey needed to resolve, and described cooperation between the two as "a great dilemma" during a visit to Greece.
Migrant flows to Greece slowed to a trickle after the EU and Turkey agreed in 2016 to seal off the Aegean route, before picking up again in August and September to the highest monthly numbers in the three years since the deal.
Turkey, which hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees, has threatened to "open the gates" unless Ankara receives adequate international support for a plan to resettle one million refugees in northern Syria.
"It's a great dilemma for the whole EU, how to continue our cooperation with Turkey on migration because this is what we need and what we want. I think it's in our common interest," Tusk told reporters after attending an event in Athens.
Tusk is scheduled to visit Cyprus on Thursday (October 10).
(Production: Vasilis Vafidis, Phoebe Fronista) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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