First Vice-President Timmermans in Turkey for discussions on Joint Action Plan and speech on EU-Turkey relations

This morning, in Ankara, First Vice-President Timmermans is meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Mevlut Cavusoglu , Minister for European Affairs Mr Volkan Bozkir and Justice Minister Mr Bekir Bosdag for discussions on the implementation of the EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan to address the refugee crisis. The First Vice-President will also speak with all Turkish ambassadors at their annual conference this afternoon, on the topic of the EU-Turkey partnership. The EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan was agreed on 15 October and activated by the EU-Turkey Summit on 29 November. The Commission proposed on 24 November a €3 billion Refugee Facility for Turkey, and on 15 December presented a Recommendation for a Voluntary Humanitarian Readmission Scheme with Turkey for Refugees from Syria. The Commission is now working with the Council and with the Turkish authorities to ensure that implementation of the Joint Action Plan is carried out swiftly and effectively