Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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45. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had discussions at EU level regarding the arrangements in place with Turkey regarding migrants; his views on whether it is appropriate to implement agreements with countries that disrespect human rights records; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8690/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Last March, EU leaders and Turkey agreed on the terms of a Statement to address the mass movement of people entering the EU from Turkey. The core intention of the EU Turkey Statement is to break the business model of the people smugglers profiting from the suffering of the vulnerable and to discourage migrants from risking their lives in dangerous sea journeys. The period since the Statement was agreed has seen a very substantial reduction in the number of migrants risking their lives at sea and entering the EU from Turkey, which suggests that the Statement is achieving its aims.

The need for the Statement to comply with EU and international law was a key concern for very many EU Member States, including Ireland. The legal advice of the EU institutions and the Attorney General’s Office was that the terms of the Statement were not in breach of EU or international law.

The European Council, the Justice and Home Affairs Council as well as the Foreign Affairs Council have all addressed the migration crisis on many occasions since the crisis developed in the Spring of 2015 and I have taken an active part in those discussions.

Human rights and humanitarian values are at the core of the EU and Member States’ approach to all negotiations on migration and mobility and we are committed to enhancing human rights safeguards in such negotiations.

Although the EU and Turkey are working well together to address the migrant crisis, the EU as a whole nonetheless has grave concerns about negative developments in Turkey in respect of human rights, democracy, the rule of law and freedom of expression, in the aftermath of the attempted coup in July 2016 and under the extended state of emergency, which is still in place. I share the concerns of our EU partners, which were set out very clearly in a statement on 8 November last. Unfortunately, these concerns persist. We will continue to monitor the situation in Turkey closely, and to engage with the Turkish authorities to encourage a renewed commitment to democracy and respect for human freedoms and to the core principles which we value so highly. We do not underestimate the challenges faced by Turkey, or the role it plays in the migrant crisis, but believe that the rule of law and democracy must always be respected.