EU leaders expected to have tough talks on migrant deal with Turkey

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, French President Francois Hollande, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and European Council President Donald Tusk (from L to R, front) talk at family photo session during a two-day European Union leaders summit at the EU Council headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, March 17, 2016.(Xinhua/Ye Pingfan)

BRUSSELS, March 17 -- European Union (EU) leaders gathered here for a new round of talks to tackle the migration crisis on Thursday, a week after initial agreement with Turkey, with tough negotiations expected.

European Council President Donald Tusk said hours ahead of the summit that he was "more cautious than optimistic" on the chance of reaching agreement with Turkey as there was resistance from EU member states to Ankara's proposals presented at the last summit.

"Only if we all work together in a coordinated manner and keep our cool, will we achieve success. I am cautiously optimistic, but frankly speaking more cautious than optimistic," he told a news conference earlier the day.

Cyprus threatened to veto the possible EU-Turkey plan unless Ankara recognizes the country's government, it was reported Thursday.

"Turkey has to open its harbors and airports (to Cypriot boats and planes) and normalize its relations with Cyprus," Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades was quoted as saying.

"If Turkey fulfills its obligations, according to the Ankara negotiation framework, there is no problem, but without it we can do nothing," he later told reporters on his arrival at the summit.

"I am sure our partners will find a way," he said, adding that he hoped that there would be an agreement by Friday.

Tusk admitted that the talks would be "difficult", stressing that the possible agreement "must be acceptable to all 28 member states, no matter big or small" and "must fully comply with EU and international law."

The agreement must effectively help solve the migration crisis and contribute to a comprehensive strategy, including getting back to Schengen, ending the wave-through policy, humanitarian assistance to Greece, support to Western Balkans and reinforcing cooperation with Turkey, he noted.

Ankara on March 7 presented to Brussels new proposals to tackle the migrant crisis, asking for extra financial aid, speeding up its EU membership negotiation process and a more liberalized visa scheme in exchange.

EU leaders were divided on Turkey's controversial proposals. German Chancellor Angela Merkel viewed the would-be agreement as a breakthrough but others were more skeptical.

"I think it is possible, and I am being clearly cautious, to get a joint position," Merkel told reporters when arriving at the summit.

She said there would be complicated negotiations and Germany would negotiate intensively.

France was wary of Turkey's demand on visa-liberalization which would allow 75 million Turks travel to Europe without visa by June. French President Francois Hollande has insisted that Turkey needs to meet all 72 criteria.

"We also need guarantees that what Turkey wants is doable and that rights are guaranteed," Hollande said.

Meanwhile, the EU leaders voiced concern on Turkey's ambitious objective of accelerating its negotiations on accession to the 28-country bloc via the summit.

Talks with Turkey should not be linked to the country's efforts to join the EU, European Parliament President Martin Schulz warned when addressing the European leaders at the start of the summit.

"We need a partnership, not a dependence on Turkey. We cannot and should not 'outsource' our problems to Turkey," Schulz said.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has long put pressure on Turkey to fulfill the bloc's "high standards" regarding to the country's membership bid.

"Working with Turkey does not mean working only on refugees," Mogherini said on Thursday, suggesting the bloc should keep a close eye on Ankara's "internal situation."

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said the EU could not put faith in an agreement that sought to deliver more than it can. Otherwise, another migrant route would emerge after the closure of Balkan route.

"It is advisable not to have illusions about what this agreement means," Costa said.

Britain would not offer visa-free access to Turks as part to the agreement, said British Prime Minister David Cameron. "We have kept our own border control."

Greece, a front line country of the crisis, was anxious about the EU's inefficiency on migrant relocation, as the EU leaders agreed to relocate 160,000 refugees last year but so far only got some nine hundred people settled down.

The EU has to "accelerate relocation to enable these people to reach their destination," said Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

The European leaders would be joined by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday.

Europe is experiencing the worst migrant crisis since the Second World War. More than one million people have traveled to the continent through various transit routes across Africa, Asia or the Middle East, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Turkey currently hosts 2.7 million refugees or migrants, mainly from war-torn Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, who were keen to cross the Turkish border for final settlement in Europe. An overwhelmingly majority chose to risk their life to be shipped to Greece.

Ankara proposed a refugee swap under which the EU would resettle one Syrian refugee from Turkey in exchange for every Syrian that Turkey takes back from the Greek islands.

The European leaders were set to discuss whether to reach such an agreement with Turkey.

Some experts have warned that Ankara's "one for one" idea could violate international laws about whether the illegal migrant could be deported back to Turkey.