EU Enlargement+Neighborhoud Commissioner Hahn: "No Date" for controversial 80 Million Turks VISA Row

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- EU Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Human Rights Committee, chaired by Experienced ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Elmar Brok (Comp. several Brok's Statements to "Eurofora"'s co-Founder during more than 20 Years, f.ex. : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/euandrussiaparliamentsforeignaffairschairsoneueurasiaukraine.html + http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/brokonusareportaboutnsa.html, etc) , was the First to hear, this Evening in Strasbourg, an initial assessment of Recentt Developments, after Last Week's Visit to Turkey by EU Commissioners Mogherini (also EU Council's High Representative on Foreign Policy) and Hahn (competent for Enlargement and Neighborhoud), as wel as the current State of Play on Ankara's persisting Blackmail still exerted on the EU, (despite the blatantly InCompatible Massive Violations of Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law under the Pretext of a Strange, 5 Hours "long" Coup Attempt this Summer), which Abuses of Threats linked to the UnPrecedented 2015-2016 Massive 1,5 Million Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants' Influx through Turkey, via EU (+Shengen) Member Greece, in order to Attempt to Impose a Highly Controversial and notoriously UnPopular "VISA-Free" status for 80 Millions of Turks, that would enable them to Enter inside EU up to, at least, 6 Months each Year :

- Replying to MEPs' Questions, Hahn, inter alia,  clearly Declared, indeed, Tonight that, (Contrary to Opposite Claims by both Turkish President Erdogan and Forein Minister Cavusoglu, arguying that there would be an "October" 2016 Time Deadline), in Fact, "there is NO DATE Attached" for such a Massive "Visa Liberalisation", (i.e. the Biggest ever considered by the EU, throughout all its History, since, f.ex., Brussels hasn't yet accepted any kind of such Visa Free regime not even for Culturaly, Historicaly and GeoPoliticaly "European", and Economicaly as well as Scientificaly/Technologicaly Developed Russian People, etc).

=> "It Depends on  When Turkey Delivers", the EU Commissioner in charge for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy stressed, indirectly but surely Pointing at the 72 Standard EU Conditions for any such move, including, in particular, also Dissident Journalists' Right to Speak out, even Critically, (according to ECHR's well Established Case Law), without being quasi-Systematically accused, Prosecuted and/or Jailed in the notoriously dangerous Turkish Prisons, on a so-called "Anti-Terrorism" Pretext by the AKP regime, (as well as the Independency of Judges, which has been notoriously trampled underfoot in Turkey, particularly with Massive Dismissals and/or Prosecutions of many Thousands of Turkish Judges, this Summer 2016,  etc). 

- And, naturaly, "I canNot Speculate on that", Concluded Hahn on this "Hot-Potato" point.

- In particular, he Noted MEPs' "Serious Concerns", in  regard of Turkey, (as they were repeatedly Expressed, also at EU Parliament's latest 3 Plenary Sessions in Strasbourg, both during May, June and July 2016, (Comp., among others also, f.ex., even CoE Assembly's Resolution asking to "Review" the Controversial EU - Turkey Deal : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coeasksreviewofeuturkeydealsyriankurdsofferalternative.html).

+ In Addition, after the more Recent Dramatic Developments inside Turkey, during this Summer 2016, it still remains to be seen, "to What Extend a State of Emerrgency can be Used as a Cover-up for Other Actions", he went on to observe, (i.e., obviously, for an Unprecedented Massive Oppression of many Tens of Thousands of Dissidents, (througout Not Only the Army, but Also the Judges, Civil Servants, Universitarians, Journalists and their Family, and even Private Businessemen, etc).

- Indeed, as a matter of General Principle, "EU has a Clear Methodology" and "Benchmarks", (including, f.ex., its Established "72 Conditions") about any eventual "Visa Liberalisation", Commissioner Hahn remindsd, pointing also to the still Pending cases of Ukraine, Georgia, and other Lands, (including Armenia, with which EU has Not even Started yet relevant Negotiations !), which, on the Contrary, have, already, even reportedly "Met" all those EU's Benchmarks, but withOut having received, until now, an apparently deserved "Right Signal" by EU Council and/or EU Parliament, still dragging their feet amidst also some unclear "Institutional" Problems, as he said. So that it would, obviously, be a Scandalous Blunder, with various Negative Political Consequences, if Turkey got what is still, in real practice, Not yet Given even to several Culturaly, Historicaly and Geographicaly European Countries, which have reportedly respected at least the main EU's Rules...

Here, EU's Neighborhood Policy Commissioner, made a Surprising Reference to the PanEuropean CoE, the 47-Member States strong, Strasbourg HeadQuartered Organisation for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, by Suggesting that "Now, the CoE can also be Used", in order "to Look on that Issue", (i.e. whether and when Turkey might fullfil the above-mentioned EU's Legal Conditions : Comp. Supra). Indeed, "we (EU) may Rely upon the (Legal) Expertise of the CoE", he speculated.

Perhaps, at least a little bit, following also New EU Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker's famous Report on EU - CoE Cooperation inside the overall European Institutional Architecture, in response to an Official Demand expressed by 47 Heads of State/Government at the 2005 PanEuropean Summit of the CoE in Warsaw, Poland, in which he had, mainly, Concluded that EU could use CoE's Legal Experience particularly on Human Rights' issues, (Comp. "Eurofora" Co-Founder's NewsReports from Warsaw, then, and from CoE's Strasbourg HQ afterwards, including a Reply to our Questions at a Press Conference given by Junker himself, as Published, then, at "TCWeekly"+).

- "But, the EU would Not Delegate" its own powers "to the CoE", (particularly in so "Hot" matters, notoriously Upsetting a Majority of EU Citizens, who are quite Critical, according to various Polls=), and, at any case, concerning the Final "Polirtical Assessment", we, inside "the EU Must Take our Responsibilities", Commissioner Hahn acknowledged.

 + Moreover, at least in this so notoriously particular case, it might appear, eventualy, Inappropriate, if not even Dangerous, for Turkey to (Exceptionaly) find, thus, a way to act Both as ... "Judge and Party" on its own Case, considering the Fact that (as a notorious, Exceptional Remnant of the "Cold War" Period of the Past, since the 1949 - 1952 era), Ankara, curiously, still remains the Only  Asiatic CoE's Member State, mainly Located Out of Europe. But, neverttheless, Turkley has there a Veto-brandishing Permanent Representative inside the influential CoE's Committee of Ministers, a lot of Ankara-appointed CoE Secretariat's staff, and even a Recently Expanded Team of Turkish MEPs Voting in CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly..  (In fact, Juncker Report's above-mentioned Suggestion pointed particularly at an "Independent", and real Pan-"European" CoE's Commissioner for Human Rights, initialy due to become a sort of CoE's "Voice of Conscience", acting from Strasbourg on the Basis, exclusively, of ECHR Judges' well-Established Case-Law)...

++ But a more Controversial assumption, curiously adopted ToNight by Hahn on a closely Related Issue, while speaking at EU Parliament's FAC (Comp. Supra), was the Claim that the UnPopular EU - Turkey Deal on Mass Migration, (notoriously Imposed by Ankara, during a Shady Sunday, at an Exceptionaly "Emergency-Blocked" Brussels affected by Islamic Extremists' Deadly Terrorism,  upon an EU held "Hostage" of still on-going, then, Threats from an Unprecedented "Tsunami" of Massive Irregular Migration, only Partly Claiming "Asylum", and Including even several  islamistic Terrorists, as Deadly Attacks against innocent Civilian People in France, etc., Revealed Afterwards), would still be "Implemented", also by Ankara's side :

- Indeed, something pushed Hahn to Astonishingly Back ToNight a Claim that "Since that (Controversial EU - Turkey) Agreement Entered into Force, on April (2016), we have a Drastic Reduction in Numbers" of Mass Irregular Migrants' Trespassing accross EU's External Borders through Turkey, as he Cuiriously said, obviously Totally Ignoring all the Facts (from OPfficial UNHCR and/or IMO Data) and  crystal-clear Analysis already made, at First, by a Pioneer "Eurofora"'s Publication, as Early as from the Beginning of May 2016, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/unpopulareuvisafreefor80millionsturksuseless.html), Later Partly recuperated by various Other Articles, and Partly Officialy Acknowledged even by EU Council's proper Documents  which had Introduced at the Latest EU Heads of State/Government's Summit, last June 2016 in Brussels, (Comp. various "Eurofora"s NewsReports from that BRX Event, f.ex. : ...), and, Finally, briefly but almost entirely Endorsed, in substance, even by mainstream German Newspaper "Die Welt", in a landmark Article Published Recently, which clearly Supported "Eurofora"s main Idea and Findings, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/weltadoptseuroforaviewonuselesseuturkeymigrantsdealafternewthreat.html), that, in Fact, it's already from mid-February 2016 that, Suddenly, a very Sharp Reduction of the Mass Migration Numbers Arriving in Europe through Turkey had really Began, Triggered by Western Balkan and "Visegrad" Group European Countries' Decisions to Start seriously Monitoring their Borders :

Since then (i.e. Mid-February), the famous "Western Balkans' Route" was clearly pronounced as having been "Closed", (including even by EU Council Presiident Donald Tusk himself), so that most Potential Mass "Asylum Seekers" and/or other Irregular Migrants rushing from Turkey into Europe until that moment, Suddenly Started to  Sharply Fall Down in Numbers, becoming almost negligeable, Compared to the Previous Situation, already long BEFORE that Controversial and UnPopular EU - Turkey "Blackmail" Deal entered into force, (only Partly, and as Late as between the End of March and the Beginning of April 2016).  How can all these, unquestionably Well-Documented Facts, already Published a Long Time ago, in English Language, at the World-Wide Web, (and Visited by Thousands of Independent Readers), clearly Based on Official UNHCR and/or IMO Data (Comp. Supra), still be so Blatantly "Ignored" by some obscure Bureaucrats who, apparently, push Hahn and a few others to stubbornly and Bliindly maintain so Blatantl, Grossly False Claims (Comp. Supra) affecting EU Citizens Lives and all Europe ?

A Contrario, even Now, when Turkey notoriously Attempted to Recently Re-Start "Blackmailing" the EU, even Explicitly, (See f.ex., relevant Threats ny Turkish President Erdogan, and Foreign Minister Cavusoglou, to practicaly Unleash a 2nd "Tsunami" of Irregualr Migrants/Mass Asylum Seekers, if the EU didn't Give a "VISA-Free" Status to 80 Millions Turks before "October" 2016), while also Beginning anew to Send (mainly through notorious Turkish Smugglers, as even several American Investigative Journalists found themselves at the Turkish Coasts Facing nearby Greek Islands, etc) More and More Irregular Migrants again towards EU (+Shengen) Member Greece, through the Aegean Sea, nevertheless, Ankara apparently Found it Now much more Harder, Difficult, or even almost Impossible to really Motivate a lot of potential Migrants, obviously Since they Knew, quite well, that (Contrary to a Pre-February 2016 Past), that Famous "Western Balkans' Route" had been, meanwhile, Closed, by FYROM, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, etc)...

=> So, it's, apparently, Now much More towards the .. Eastern Balkans, (i.e. via Greece, Bulgaria and Romania, towards Hungary, etc), that a reportedly (slowly but steadily) Growing Influx of Massive Asylum Seekers/Irrefular Migrants through Turkey has Recently Started to Advance. To the Point that; Now it's the Bulgarian Government (and Not the current Greek one) which has just been Obliged to Ask for an Urgent EU's practical Help in order to SafeGuard its Borders vis a vis Turkey, which are also EU's External Borders. A Move which has just Inspired even EU Council's President Tusk to Officialy launch a Formal Appeal Urging al EU Heads of State/Government, at the Eve of their forthcoming Gathering in the Bratislava EU informal Summit of 27 EU Countries , this Friday in Slovakia, (current Holder of EU Council's rotating Presidency for the Period of July - December 2016), to Promptly Act to SafeGuard, ipso facto, Both Bulgaria's National Borders, which are also EU's External Borders, facing Turkey.

That's another, yet, New Fact, which, obviously, does Not Fit at all with that Controversial Claim, Based on False Assumptions, that Turkey would, reportedly, be right in the process of "Implementing" the above-Mentioned, UnPopular EU - Turkey bid, (Comp. Supra)...

Particularly when, on the Contrary, EU has already Honored its "Blackmail"-imposed Promisse to "ReLocate Refugees from Turkey" also in a Regular Way, resulting, for the Time being, with an Organized Transfert by the EU of More than "1.000 People from Turkey to Europe", as pointed out EU Parliament's Rapporteur on Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid, Socialist MEP Kati Piri from the Netherlands.

In such Circumstances, it obviously, looks quite Akward, and even More Difficult to Explain, why the EU should be Spending, in the Next Few Years, more than ...the Double of those "3 Billions €" that "EU has to make Available for Turkey", according to that Controversial and UnPopular "Blackmail"-Driven EU-Turkey Deal, as Hahn reminded ToNight.

 - Indeed, from those First "3 Billions €" in full Grants destinated for Turkey, EU has already "EarMarked some 2,2 Billions € for Programs and Projects" for various Ankara's activities related to Massive Immigration/Asylum Seekers "waves", mainly from Syria,  while about "700 Millions € have been Specified  for such concrete Projects, and 180 Millions € Already Paid" in Turkey, the EU Commissioner told EU Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee.

- But, the Main Question Raised Now, is Not Only that, Naturaly, at least, "We (i.e. : the EU) Must Know How these Funds are Going to be Used", as Hahn Warned, pointing to the Fact that "it's Important" to Ensure that they go, f.ex., on "Education, Food, Health Care", and/or "Language Classes", etc., (while it's, however, k,own that, at least 50% of the current Mass Asylum Seekers/Irrefular Migrants who are already crossing through Turkish Territories, (particularly those comming from Syria and/or Iraq), More than "50% Want to Return Back, the Soonest possible", as he observed.

- Even in Wider terms, indeed, "We (EU) Need a Reliable Analysis on What is Really Going-on in Turkey", and "Do More to  Guess What Turkey Really Expects from the EU", as another MEP observed.

- At any case, Hahn revealed that EU intends to "See (how) the State of Play" will evolve, "on November" 2016, as he said.

However, in Fact, Today, apparently, the Most Crucial Point about the overall potentialm of nowadays Mass Migration Crisis is Elsewhere :

    - Indeed, as the Experienced, Long-Time President of EU Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, German ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Elmar Brok, according to certain Estimations, there might be, Today, at least "some 100.000 Refugees to Prevent from Attempting to Travel from Libya to Italy", perhaps "with the involvement of some Egyptian Harbours", he pointed out, among other MEPs' queries on various aspects of that Topical North African issue, concerning particularly Libya.

    Commissioner Hahn's main Reply "on Libya", as he nicknamed an obviously much Wider, in fact, Problem, was to observe that, indeed, "Refugees' Numbers have Not Decreased" from that area, (where Recently Italy had to rescue a lot of Mass Migrants at the Mediterranean Sea), while, still, " is Missing in Libya a Reliable Partner", as long as the Post-Benghazi 2012 Political and Security Crisis continues, even if, aleady, some relevant "EU Funds are Available".

    But, the  Main Thrust of that "Libya"/African Mass Migrats' Issue, is in Fact, that we "Need to get to the Roots of the Problem" : "If Economic and Social Problems Continue and Aggravate, we (EU) are Giong to See Migration Problems (from Africa) Grow", Hahn Warned. That's why, he found Timely Important to Refer, here, to EU Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker's famous Investment Plan possible "Extension", mutatis-mutandis, in a way which might Involve also the Southern Shore of the Mediterreanean. That's, indeed, one among the possible Topical Points that Observers are currently Speculating about the eventual Contents of the Forthcoming Juncker's "State of the Union" Speech and Debate with MEPs at EU Parliament's Plenary in Strasbourg, later this week, on Wednesday Morning-Noon., September 15.

    => In that case, IF only in order to try to settle the thorny Turkey - Mass Migrants' Problem alone, might, eventualy, Need More than + 6 Billions € (in full Grants) up to 2018, (as Ankara has notoriously asked), then, How Much more Money would it all Cost, if EU did the Same concerning all the African mega-Continent ?....

    Really, wouldn't it be More Efficient to, at least Consider as an Indispensable Addition to EU's available Tools, (Both vis a vsi Africa, as well as vis a vis Turkey, etc), also what could be nick-Named as "the Spanish Model", which has apparently Worked quite Efficiently until now, despite the existence of even a Territorial Link between Africa and Europe there, around the Strategic Rock of Gibraltar ?

(Comp., f.ex., among many others, also at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/spanishmfaonmoroccodealonmigrants.html).