Türkiye, EU should reach new migration deal: Greek minister

ANKARA

Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Dimitris Kairidis has stated that Türkiye and the European Union should reach a new deal to prevent the increased flux of illegal migration.

Speaking to German daily Bild, the minister argued that the increase in the number of migrants arriving in his country originated from Türkiye, calling on Germany to mediate in establishing a new agreement.

Türkiye holds a key position in combating irregular migration as migrants predominantly use the eastern Mediterranean route in their attempt to reach the European countries, Kairidis said.

"We want to develop better cooperation with Türkiye, especially regarding migration. I believe that together, we can better combat irregular migration,” he expressed.

Noting that Ankara and Berlin have a multifaceted relationship, the minister said, "We want Berlin to leverage its influence for the benefit of everyone and to urge Türkiye to negotiate a sincere agreement that will also rebuild Türkiye’s relations with the West and Europe."

The Turkish Interior Ministry recently confirmed its collaboration with the U.K. to tackle illegal migration, revealing a new agreement on intelligence sharing, particularly in combating migrant smugglers and addressing this mechanism.

"In the fight against irregular migration and migrant smugglers, which is a global problem, we are holding bilateral talks with source, transit and destination countries of migration, including the United Kingdom,” the ministry said in a written statement on Aug. 10.