German Chancellor Angela Merkel has backed Ankara’s proposals for deepening EU-Turkey cooperation to address the refugee crisis, and urged partners to compromise on a deal at a key summit this week.
"The far-reaching proposals of Turkish prime minister shows that we have arrived to a decisive point in European discussions to find a solution to the refugee crisis,” Merkel said during her address to the German parliament Wednesday.
“A deepened cooperation with Turkey that we are striving for is a matter of giving and receiving. It is a matter of balance of interests and compromises. That applies to both sides, equally,” she said.
Merkel’s remarks came ahead of a key European summit Thursday, where Turkish and European leaders will discuss Ankara’s proposals to deepen cooperation in addressing the refugee crisis and accelerate Turkey’s EU membership process.
German chancellor said that once agreed, the deal would discourage illegal migration, open the way for resettling some of the refugees from Turkey into Europe and bring a fair share of burden in the refugee crisis.
