EUobserver: Turkish PM resigns, posing risk for EU deal
Turkey’s Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu has resigned amid a growing rift with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, creating concern over the fate of the EU-Turkey deal on refugees, writes the EUobserver.
According to the source, Davutoglu’s resignation announcement came on Thursday (5 May), a day after the European Commission gave its green light to long-sought visa free travel for Turkish citizens. The visa pact is part of the EU-Turkey migrant accord.
As writes the source, Davutoglu was the architect of the deal, and viewed by European leaders as the more liberal face of the Turkish government compared to Erdogan.
“It's a bit too early to define if it will have implications and in that case of what kind. We will obviously discuss this first of all with the Turkish authorities and define together how to move forward,” the EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini said during a visit to Kosovo after Davutoglu’s announcement, according to Reuters.
According to EUobserver, Davutoglu’s departure has prompted concern in Brussels. EU officials acknowledge that Erdogan and his aides kept raising the stakes during negotiations on the migrant deal and could now ask more from the EU as soon as Davutoglu is out of sight.