EU

The projections of analysts, economists, and international organisations point to an horrific landscape the day after the pandemic.

The current unprecedented crisis constitutes a major temptation for authoritarian rulers everywhere to usurp more power.

Suleyman Soylu saidf the 1,000 special forces that Ankara has for weeks stationed at the Gree-Turkish border for hours one day used live fire and lobbed gas bombs onto Greek territory.

NSRF funding (known by the acronym ESPA in Greece) has offered crucial development support for the Greek economy for decades and in particular during the recent economic crisis.

Much earlier than other countries and in a timely manner, Greece imposed strict restrictive measures with which the majority of citizens are complying.

His first years in power focused on a recovery of the Turkish economy and he systematically promoted the mass integration (mainly through Islamic networks) in the production process of marginalised segments of society.

Even if the EU does decide to offer more money, it’s not clear it will be sufficient to assuage Turkey or be the kind of support that Ankara, which is simultaneously involved in conflicts in Syria and Libya, really wants.

It is quite likely that Turkey will intensify its provocative behaviour and we must thus be prepared for all possible eventualities.

Either the EU will resign itself to being a simple observer of developments and indirectly become a victim of this war or it will marshal its power and intervene.

'Over the last days Greece has been subjected to sudden, massive, and coordinated pressure from the movement of populations on its eastern land and sea borders directed and encouraged by Turkey.' said government spokesman Stelios Petsas.

'It is imperative that the international law of the sea, the principle of good neighbourly relations and the sovereignty and sovereign rights over the maritime zones of all neighbouring coastal states, including those generated by their islands, need to be respected,'Josep Borrell stated on behalf of the Commission.

Brexit, once considered the unlikely dream of a motley crew of “eurosceptics” on the fringes of British politics, also weakens the EU.

Luxebourg's foreign minister says  EU countries should take 4,000 child migrants from Greece.

German foreign ministry spokesperson expressed support for the sovereign rights of Greece and Cyprus and clearly declared that maritime borders must be delimited in accord with international law.

Other EU countries must follow the German example as regards the distribution of migrants. Berlin took in 1 million migrants and refugees and distributed them proportionately around the country without upsetting social cohesion .

With his supposedly unconventional and populist style he pushed negotiations to the limit and now he must convince his party and others not to blow the agreement out of the water.

Yesterday, Tsipras threatened that he too as the basic protagonist in that period may decide to speak out at some point and reveal the true facts and the individuals involved.

'We are saying we should form such a safe zone that we, as Turkey, can build towns here in lieu of the tent cities here. Let’s carry them to the safe zones there,' Erdogan said.

All the data and information indicates that Turkey is allowing refugee flows in order to pressure and blackmail the EU in order to advance its demands on many open fronts.

As an international affairs expert has said, 'In our day and age you don’t have to declare war against a country. Carefully directed refugee flows suffice to wreak havoc.'