EU’s Tusk to visit Ankara days before summit with Turkey

Tusk’s visit to Ankara will come only days before a scheduled special summit between the EU and Turkey on the migration crisis.

The EU is relying on Turkey to help stem the flow of Syrians fleeing civil war, giving Ankara 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) to set up centers and resettle refugees, although progress in implementing the deal has been slow.

Pressure to enforce the plan is growing, as EU officials say thousands of migrants are still crossing the Aegean Sea daily from Turkey after more than 1 million made the perilous journey last year, the greatest such movement in the bloc’s history.

A meeting of the leaders of 11 EU countries willing to join a voluntary resettlement for Syrians with Turkey, so-called “like-minded” countries led by Germany and Austria, had been planned to take place on Feb. 18.

However, Davutoğlu pulled out following a suicide bomb attack in Ankara on Feb. 17 which killed 29 people.