Turkiye's Erdogan to meet Italy's Meloni and Libya's Dbeibah in Istanbul, presidency says
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Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
EU court rules against Italy on Albania migrant camps scheme
ROME/BRUSSELS: Europe's top court on Friday questioned the legitimacy of Italy's 'safe countries' list, which is used to send migrants to Albania and fast-track their asylum claims, in a fresh blow to a key plank of the government's migration policy. Conservative Giorgia Meloni's office, in a statement, called the court ruling 'surprising' and said it 'weakens policies to combat mass illegal immigration and defend national borders.' Dario Belluccio, a lawyer who represented one of the Bangladeshi asylum-seekers in the specific case brought before the European Court of Justice, said the Albanian migrant camps scheme had effectively been killed off. The detention facilities Italy set up in Albania have been empty for months, due to judicial obstacles. 'It will not be possible to continue with what the Italian government had envisioned before this decision ... Technically, it seems to me that the government's approach has been completely dismantled,' he told Reuters. Meloni had presented the offshoring of asylum-seekers to camps built in Albania as a cornerstone of her tough approach to immigration, and other European countries had looked to the idea as a possible model. However, the scheme stumbled on legal opposition almost as soon as it was launched last year, with Italian courts ordering the return to Italy of migrants picked up at sea and taken to Albania, citing issues with EU law. In a long-awaited judgment, the Luxembourg-based ECJ ruled that Italy is authorized to fast-track asylum rejections for nationals from countries on a 'safe' list — a principle at the heart of the Albania scheme. It also stated that Italy is free to decide which countries are 'safe,' but warned that such a designation should meet strict legal standards and allow applicants and courts to access and challenge the supporting evidence. In its statement, the ECJ said a Rome court had turned to EU judges, citing the impossibility of accessing such information and thus preventing it from 'challenging and reviewing the lawfulness of such a presumption of safety.' The ECJ also stated that a country may not be classified as 'safe' if it fails to provide adequate protection to its entire population, effectively agreeing with Italian judges who had raised this issue last year. Meloni's office complained that the EU judgment effectively allows national judges to dictate policy on migration, 'further reducing the already limited' capacity of parliament and government to take decisions on the matter. 'This is a development that should concern everybody,' it said. The case raised before the ECJ involved two Bangladeshi nationals who were rescued at sea by Italian authorities and taken to Albania, where their asylum claims were rejected based on Italy's classification of Bangladesh as a 'safe' country. The detention facilities Italy set up in Albania have been empty for months, due to judicial obstacles. Last week, a report found that their construction cost was seven times more than that of an equivalent center in Italy. Though the Albanian scheme is stuck in legal limbo, Italy's overall effort to curb undocumented migration by sea has been more successful. There have been 36,557 such migrant arrivals to date, slightly up from the same period in 2024, but far below the 89,165 recorded over the same time span in 2023.
Arab News
9 hours ago
- Arab News
Turkiye's Balkans policy offers it a stronger role in Europe
When focusing on Turkiye's foreign policy, its role in the Middle East or its relationships with the EU and the US take the most attention. Although the Balkans has not been a priority in either Turkish policy debates or in public opinion, it has been strategically important for Turkiye throughout its modern history. Given its geopolitical significance, Turkiye maintains a calculated policy toward this region, maintaining a balanced relationship with all actors there. As part of this policy, Turkiye launched a new diplomatic initiative for the Balkans — the Balkan Peace Platform — which held its inaugural meeting in Istanbul last week. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who chaired the meeting, announced that the platform would convene informally every six months, with Istanbul serving as the host for the time being. The meeting brought together high-level officials from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania. The Turkish-led platform's aim is to promote dialogue in the region, whose stability and security is not only critical for Turkiye but also for Europe. The Balkans region connects Europe, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. However, it has a long history of conflict and great powers have competing interests there. This complex past has even led to the emergence of the term 'Balkanization,' which refers to a region marked by conflict, fragmentation and persistent instability. Recalling the region's history of chronic instability, Fidan warned that 'missed opportunities' can lead to serious economic and security consequences, emphasizing the need for 'regional solutions to regional problems.' The Western Balkans is a region where Russia and the Western powers maintain a particular strategic interest. In this context, Turkiye neither positions itself as a counterbalance to Russia nor as an alternative to the EU or the US. Instead, it seeks to play the role of a stabilizing force. At the heart of Turkiye's Balkans policy is the long-standing Serbia-Kosovo dispute, which is one of Europe's most serious challenges. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and has since been recognized by several countries, including Turkiye. However, Belgrade has never accepted Kosovo's independence. Ankara, meanwhile, maintains strong diplomatic relations with both sides. In 2017, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid an official visit to Serbia, where he was received with an unprecedented level of warmth. With this visit, Turkiye placed the last piece in its Balkans puzzle. During its presidency of the South-East European Cooperation Process, Ankara also established the Turkiye-Bosnia-Serbia and Turkiye-Bosnia-Croatia tripartite dialogue mechanisms. These initiatives were part of its inclusive foreign policy approach in the Balkans. Maintaining good relations with all regional actors is key for protecting minority communities. This is a core principle of Turkiye's Balkans policy. Most importantly, Turkiye's Balkans policy closely aligns with broader Western goals. The Western Balkan states share aspirations to join both the EU and NATO and Ankara supports these goals. It has actively backed the accession of Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia to NATO and supports their official candidacy for EU membership. This support reflects Ankara's strategic aim of maintaining a strong presence in the region ahead of these countries joining the EU. The region connects Europe, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. However, it has a long history of conflict. Dr. Sinem Cengiz Besides political support, Turkiye has free trade agreements with all of the Western Balkan states and is undertaking ambitious infrastructure projects, such as the construction of the Belgrade-Sarajevo motorway, which represents an ambitious Turkish investment at the heart of the Western Balkans. Improving infrastructure in the region is seen as a critical step toward supporting its integration into the EU. In addition, Turkiye is advancing its energy strategy in the region through new agreements. Most recently, it signed memorandums of energy cooperation with both Bulgaria and Romania. Turkiye also continues to assert itself as a security actor in the Balkans. It is already part of NATO's Kosovo Force, assuming the mission's command for the first time in 2023. Among the NATO member states and partner countries contributing to this mission, Turkiye holds the second-largest military contingent. In March, Turkiye took steps to ratify broad military framework agreements with Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia, allowing it to deepen its defense cooperation with these countries. In May, military leaders from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro gathered in Istanbul to reaffirm regional military cooperation, offering a rare display of unity. The timing of the meeting was particularly significant as the Balkan states are significantly affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine. They are divided in their ties with the US and Russia, having varying threat perceptions toward these global actors. For example, Albanians largely see the US and, to some extent, Turkiye as key allies. Bosnians also tend to pivot toward Turkiye as their key partner, while Serbia continues to align itself closely with Russia. This reflects the complex picture in the Balkans, where the US, Russia and Turkiye, as well as EU states, all wield influence. However, despite these rivalries, Turkiye's carefully balanced policy, supported by diplomacy, military and economic incentives, not only provides it with a unique opportunity to solidify its role in the Balkans, but it also increases its leverage in Europe. Most importantly, Turkiye's involvement in the Balkan security, political and economic architecture should be seen as an asset by the EU, and the broader West, because Ankara's pursuit of close ties with the Balkan states aims to complement and reinforce Europe's broader objectives for this region.
Arab News
17 hours ago
- Arab News
Turkiye's Erdogan to meet Italy's Meloni and Libya's Dbeibah in Istanbul, presidency says
ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will hold separate meetings with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Al-Dbeibah in Istanbul on Friday, Turkiye's presidency said in a statement.
