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PM: Prague ready to take part in EU financial support for Turkey

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Brussels, Nov 29 (CTK correspondent) – The Czech Republic is ready to contribute to the European financial support for Turkey so that Turkey can deal with more than two million refugees on its territory in a better way, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka told journalists before the EU-Turkey summit on Sunday.

“The Czech Republic is prepared to send the money within two years. This is also because we want to see the reaction of the Turkish side,” Sobotka said.

If the deal related to migration is made between Turkey and the European Union, the Czechs will pay 300-400 million crowns from their budget next year and a similar sum in 2017.

In total, the EU plans to give Turkey three billion euros (ca 81 billion crowns). The details of the deal are yet to be negotiated. The biggest contribution is to be paid by Germany, Britain, France, Italy and the Netherlands.

Sobotka said Turkey has to meet its part of the joint action plan. “We expect Turkey to intervene against people smugglers and traffickers on its Western coast,” he said.

He pointed out that the smugglers have been allowed to do whatever they want on this coast so far. The present situation is unacceptable, he said.

Turkey should also be able to return migrants who have no right to asylum to their countries of origin and introduce a stricter regime at its border so that it is capable of regulating the migration flows, Sobotka said.

The financial support will be provided if all this is fulfilled, he said.

Sobotka told Czech journalists that Turkey should primarily regulate migration on its territory. “It should not occur anymore that Turkey does not have a functional border with countries like Iraq, Syria or Iran,” he said.

Sobotka said it is crucial that intensive cooperation between the EU and Turkey is launched, not only in migration, but also in coordinated fight against terrorism and efforts to stabilise Syria.

Further chapters of the EU accession process should be opened, he said.

However, the EU should insist on the achieving of certain standards in human rights, the rule of law and other spheres, he added.

Sobotka said Prague considered Turkey´s accession process to be the most problematic in fields such as freedom of speech and relations to minorities.

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