EU launches large financial 'taxpayer paid' aid project for refugees in Turkey.

EU launches large financial 'taxpayer paid' aid project for refugees in Turkey. (DS).

Turkey: The European Union was set on Monday to launch a 348 million euros ($391 million) aid project to help the most vulnerable refugees in Turkey - part of a landmark EU deal with Turkey aimed at curbing the flow of migrants to Europe.

Up to a million refugees living outside of camps are to receive debit cards that will allow them to buy their own food and pay for housing, education and other needs. The cards would be topped up monthly, with payments dependent on the size and needs of the families.

The project, to be launched by EU Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Commissioner Christos Stylianides in Ankara, said the program was "proof of the EU's commitment to (help) Turkey cover the challenge posed by the refugee crisis."

"I am in Ankara for a specific reason: to launch the biggest, largest humanitarian project the EU has ever supported," Stylianides said before the launch.

The program is to be administered by the World Food Program, with help of Turkish Red Crescent, the Turkish crisis management agency and the Turkish ministry for family and social policy.

The European Commission says safeguards are in place to ensure the money is correctly spent.
Turkey is home to an estimated 3 million refugees.

The program is part of an agreement the EU has with Turkey to provide a total of 3 billion euros in 2016 and 2017 to help Turkey support Syrian migrants. The EU has also agreed to fast track membership talks and ease visa restrictions for Turkish citizens traveling to Europe in return for Turkey's cooperation in stopping migrants heading to Europe.


However, plans to loosen visa rules came to a standstill after Turkey balked at the EU's demand that it relax its anti-terrorism laws. Hmmm........I'm wondering how many Non Muslims will obtain such a card.

German plot to keep EU army a SECRET till June 23 EXPOSED as plans drawn up in Berlin.

The blind leading the blind.

German plot to keep EU army a SECRET till June 23 EXPOSED as plans drawn up in Berlin. (Express).

Along with judicial, tax and immigration issues, a Euro-army has for long been one of the main irritants of anti-EU campaigners. 

The fact that Germany - the powerhouse of the project - is mooting one so close to the referendum on whether Britain stays or goes is seen as madness by politicians fighting to keep the UK within the group.

Now a white paper has been drawn up by Berlin. Media reports suggest that the Germans wanted to keep its proposals secret until after the June 23 plebiscite but it has now been leaked.

The paper outlines steps to "gradually co-ordinate Europe's patchwork of national militaries and launch permanent cooperation under common structures among the member states."

The initiatives proposed includes strengthening cyberwarfare abilities and relaxing Germany's self-imposed restrictions about deploying troops in peacetime within the country.  This was brought in after 1945 when Nazism was crushed and Germans turned away from militarism.

The draft proposal seeks to end the ban noting the "character and dynamic of current and future security-political threats."  This includes deep-rooted fears in Germany that it could suffer a Paris-style terror strike any time soon.

"German security policy has relevance — also for beyond our country. Germany is willing to join early, decisively and substantially as a driving force in international debates ... to take responsibility and assume leadership," the white paper says.

Moscow’s suspicions of such a move will be compounded by Juncker’s specific statement that forming such a body would make clear to Russia that the EU is “serious about upholding the value of the European Union”.

Juncker insisted the force would not be in competition with Nato, the 28-member alliance which includes most but not all EU countries and which the UK views as the bedrock of western defence cooperation.

“Rather a European army would bring an intensive cooperation in the development and the purchase of military equipment and bring substantial savings,” he added. Read the full story here.

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'EU should not engage in bazaar-style haggling with Turkey': Cypriot House Speaker.

'EU should not engage in bazaar-style haggling with Turkey': Cypriot House Speaker. (CyprusMail).

The EU should not engage in ‘bazaar-type’ haggling with Turkey over the migrant deal due to be thrashed out on Thursday in Brussels, House Speaker Yiannakis Omirou said on Sunday.

He warned that European institutions which were going to go against their own decisions would lose credibility.

Omirou was commenting on Tuesday’s visit by European Council President Donald Tusk to Cyprus, something he said came as a bit of a suprise. Tusk is coming to meet President Nicos Anastasiades ahead of Thursday’s summit as there are fears in Brussels that Cyprus could scupper the migrant deal by sticking to its veto on opening accession chapters for Turkey, which Ankara is demanding as part of a migrant deal.

Omirou urged the European Council to categorically reject Turkish demands, which, he said, were in no way related to the handling of the refugee crisis.

The European Council ought to safeguard its authority and credibility, as well as its own decisions, the House President went on.

When Turkey refuses to comply, the European Council can not exert pressure on the Republic of Cyprus in order to violate own decisions, he said.

Turkey has failed to comply with an EU decision that it recognizes the Republic of Cyprus and opens its ports and airports to Cyprus’ air and sea traffic.


Out of the 35 chapters Turkey must conclude as part of its accession negotiations, Cyprus has unilaterally frozen six, while additional chapters remain blocked by France.