The best way for Greece and the EU to stop Turkey capitalising on the misfortune of the refugees would be to take them away from Turkey and then it wouldn't have that stick to wave.
From what I have read the recent conflicts in the Middle East - Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan etc - haven't really been played in the spirit of the Queensberry Rules.
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From what I have read the recent conflicts in the Middle East - Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan etc - haven't really been played in the spirit of the Queensberry Rules.
(Not that I have ever seen these in print, doubtless a forum pedant will be along in a moment to explain how wrong I am
Assuming you're talking about the migrants, that is one of the least thought through comments I've read on the subject. The reason they want to leave Syria, Libya, etc is because the people in charge of the problems have Kalashnikovs and they don't. What they want is what we have, the right - and the possibility to live their lives and bring up their children in peace. Sure, there are economic migrants mixed in, and I'd agree that they should be sent home whenever possible. No one with any knowledge of it ever said it was an easy situation with a simple solution.
Mass hysteria is a genuine phenomenon, and the signs of it are evident,
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Things will get worse, especially when Turkey encourages the refugees to cross and as always causing unnecessary trouble in the area. Lack of freedom of the press to report factual information in Turkey has not helped, the propaganda is so obvious. I feel sorry for the locals. Looks like the Ionian will be much busier than the Aegean this summer with yachting.
You're right about one thing - Turkey will definitely encourage the refugees to cross the borders. Turkey has been warning for a long time that the international community need to step up to the plate and play their part but Europe's NIMBY approach and their failure to live up to their agreed commitments to Turkey has brought about the current situation.
Like IR, I have a boat in Turkey and have greatly enjoyed for some years the hospitality of the Turks and the boating. I also feel desperately sorry for their problem with the enormous numbers of Syrian refugees who have sought safety inside Turkey. What may have started as a temporary safe haven until the fighting in Syria was concluded now looks like a permanent shift. No going back While Assad is in control. So what should the Western powers do, if anything? To re-settle 3 million Syrians (and who knows how many Pakistanis, Afghans and others) into Western Europe would be a strain on the West and probably not very enjoyable for most Syrians. The change in lifestyle and culture would be massive. But for a minority it could work and they could live fruitful lives in their new countries. So to my mind, the big question is how do we voluntarily take enough of the right type of these refugees to the UK, France, Germany, Netherlands etc so that Turkey can resolve the remainder of the refugees locally? Or should we just nuke Assad and let this lot of refugees go back to rebuild their own country?
There are no winners in this situation only big losers. The Turkish government has been under increasing pressure at home because of the strain the almost 4 million Syrian refugees has put on social services and the numbers of Turks who are unemployed while hundreds of thousands of Syrians are working for low pay. It has impacted on the Presidents popularity and it was inevitable there would be a reaction. I feel extremely sorry for Greece as well especially the population of the Aegean Islands. Greece should not have to bear this burden virtually alone and the rest of the EU countries should do their bit. Having said that there's no excuse for what we saw on our TV's last night with Greek coast guard ramming and firing guns at flimsy boats with small children on board or reports of live fire at refugees on the land border. This problem is not going to go away.
