CoE asks to Review EU-Turkey Deal on Refugees/Migrants, as Syrian Kurds offer an Alternative (+INTW)

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- A Strong Majority in CoE's PanEuropean Assembly Voted Today a Crucial Amendment calling to "Review" the Controversial EU - Turkey Deal on Refugees/Migrants, so that "Alternatives"  may be Examined, as CoE's Rapporteur pointed out, shortly before a Real Alternative Solution, Helping Refugees to Stay Safe Near their Country of Origin and be Ready to Return asap, was presented at a CoE Side Esvent by the Co-President of Syrian Democratic Council, (a Syrian-Kurdish Organisation, which cooperates both with USA, Russia and EU against ISIS'  Extremist Islamic Terrorists), who explained to "Eurofora" the main thrust of her suggestions in real practice.

    That Last-Minute Amendment, adopted with a wide Majority of 102 Votes, against only 20, and 13 Abstentions, asks to "Review (Re--Examine) the EU - Turkey Agreement, in Light of the Criticism by UNHCR, Doctors without Borders, and Amnesty International".

    Initialy, its Original Draft, Tabled by a Dozen of MEPs, (represented by Ms Lotta Johnson, from Sweden, and Signed also by German, Greek, Turkish, Cypriot, as well as Danish, Icelandish and Slovenian MEPs, etc), called even to "Cancel" that Controversial EU-Turkey Deal, that anOther CoE Assembly's Resolution, adopted Previously in Strasbourg, had notoriously found Faulted mainly Because "Turkey is Not a Safe Country" for Refugees at all, as the PanEuropean Organisation of Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, had stressed then, (See f.ex. : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coeturkeynosafecountryforrefugees.html).

    - Indeed, "Turkey is Not a Safe Country, since its State currently Takes Measures against Democracy, (f.ex. the Recent Lift of many Dissident MPs' Immunity, which has already Provoked a Wide OutCry), has an Appalling Situation on Human Rights, and just Killed 8 Syrian Refugees, 4 of them Childtren, last Sunday", MEP Johnsson strongly denounced in this regard.

    -  However, Today, CoE's Rapporteur on Refugees in Greece, Ms Tineke Strik, a Dutch Socialist, added an Oral SubAmendment Changing the Word "Cancel" by that of "Review (Re-Examine), Argyuing that,even that Previous, Critical PACE Resolution,  "Did Not ask to "Cancel"" that Deal, "But had Denounced the Fact that it Raised Serious Human Rights' Concerns". Because "it's Too Early for us to be ready to Cancel" that, "But there are Enough Reasons to Examine if it's in the Right Direction, or if we should Work for Alternatives".

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    - It's true that the current  Greek Minister on Migration Policy, Ioannis Mouzalas, speaking later to "Eurofora", confirmed that he was obliged to be for the maintain of the Controversial EU -Turkey Deal, however  only "in a way which will be in conformity with Human Rights". We (CoE/EU) should better Help Turkey to Respect its Obligations, without exerting undue Pressure, particularly in order to Ensure that the Syrian Migrants who will Return will have have ther elementary Rights respected, he earlier pointed out.   

    - Because, "I searched, but couldn't find a real Alternative" yet, as Minister Mouzalas told "Eurofora".

    Nevertheless, a CoE Side Event, which took place shortly after the above mentioned PACE Plenary Vote, offered a Timely Alternative :

- Sponsored by the President of CoE Assembly's EuroLeft Group, Dutch Senator Tiny Cox, in that Event, experienced German MEP Andrej Hunko  introduced Ms Elham Ahmed, Co-President of the Syrian Democratic Council, whsich includes Kurds in Northern Syria region, who notoriously Cooperates Both with Americans and Russians, as well as several European Countries, particularly against Extremist Islamic Terrorists of ISIL's atrocious BeHeaders, even of innocent and defenseless Civilian People. It's only Turkey and ISIL, added to AlQaeda Rebels, who are  Against  it, and often launch Deadly Attacks on them, even inside Syria.

    Ms Ahmed described the Advantages  which present, according to her, the Refugee Centers Hosted at that Syrian Kurdish Region, and "Eurofora", observing what had just happened during CoE Assembly's Votes on a Report on Refugees in Greece, (Comp. Supra), asked her to Resume, in Substance, the Main, specific Added Value that this Alternative Solution might have, (Compared to that existing in the Controversial EU-Turkey Deal), so that it would be Examined by EU/CoE nowadays, in the Light of recent developments, as one among the various possible Alternative Solutions.

    - She Replied to "Eurofora"s Question mainly by Stressing that "it's Better for Syrian Refugees to be Close to their Homes", Prepared and "Ready to Re-Build up, later-on, their Cities in Safety, and their Communities".

+ Moreover, "We prepare a Culture of Peace", while, on the Contrary, in most Other Areas, Refugees are affected by "a War Psychology", SDC's co-President went on to Add.

    - And, concerning particularly "the Young Generations", we Educate them also in their Mother Language of origin, and Grow them up in a way that they can Know their Country and its History, etc., so that we Give them enough Tools in order to be Prepared to Return and Buld up their Cities asap. Something which does not yet exist elsewhere, she concluded in substance.

    + But, Replying Afterwards also to anOther Question by a Collegue Journalist, she Regretted the Fact that, at least until now, "the UN don't seem to be Aware" of the real situation on the spot,  and "they didn't Help us", but, on the Contrary, "Left us Alone", instead of "Supporting these Refugee Camps", as they do also with all the Others, (f.ex. inside Turkey, Lebanon, Jordany, etc).

    - Meanwhile, some obviously Seek to "Empty the whole Region from Christians and Other Groups", in order to Turn it "Totaly in an Islamic" area, by Perpetrating Terrorist Acts to Drive those Local People Out". So, "we are Afraid that the Region will be Emptied from this "Mosaic" of Peoples and Beliefs, which Risks to be Destroyed", she Warned.

++ In Fact, it all looks as "an Ideological Project", to Impose by Force a "100% Sunni" Mono-Culture, while, on the Contrary, "we Need to have also those Diffferend Religions, which should be Supported by the International Community", she added in Reply to a MEP's subsequent Question. F..ex. Christian Minorities had been Promissed Help, but practicaly Nothing happened yet. Also "Because UNHCR has to Ask the Central Government". F.ex., UNHCR Wanted to Visit a Refugee Camp, but the Turkish Government Claimed that "there was No Security", and they Prevented that", she Denounced, (among various other concrete examples).

Last, but not least, the Syrian Kurdish Political Leader asked also to "Open Access from some Roads for Help", that currently Turkey Blocks, as far as they are concerned, as well as for a Better and Complete Representation of All People of Syria in the stalled Negotiations for Reconciliation and Peace, which are currently Dominated mainly by some Groups with "a Heavy Islamist Agenda" that "Worries us", and who "Don'y really want Peace at all", but, in fact, a perpetuation of Conflicts and "War". This is "a Big Mistake", as she Denounced, which "has to Change".

(../..)

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("DraftNews", as already send to "Eurofora"s Subscribers/Donors, earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version might be Published asap).

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