The last time I wrote about the Syrian refugee crisis, Turkish dictator Recep Erdogan had given the EU a very interesting ultimatum. Erdogan openly challenged the EU bureaucrats, threatening to release up to 2 million refugees into a Europe already disgruntled over refugee policies unless the EU agreed to advance Turkey’s membership into the union. The Globalists faced a lose-lose situation- either deny Erdogan further and face the political/social/economic nightmare of a tidal wave of refugees and immigrants, or give in to the demands and undermine the authority of the EU’s edicts. Now, nearly three weeks later, the EU has responded.
EU to Provide Debit Cards, Cash to Refugees in Turkey as Part of Migration Deal
In what is being billed as a “humanitarian program,” the EU and Turkey have worked out a deal where up to one million refugees in Turkey will be given prepaid debit cards and monthly stipends funded by the EU. The program is expected to cost $393 million, and is just one part of a larger $3 billion program to help Turkey.
When it comes to humanitarian assistance, “our cooperation with Turkish authorities has been excellent,” [Christos Stylianides] added.
Although the EU bureaucrats managed to bypass Erdogan’s ultimatum for now, this response seems to benefit Turkey particularly. The money on the debit cards will be spent on the local Turkish economy, and the people of Europe will be saddled with the bill. What’s more, this debit card scheme cannot resolve the situation, it can only kick the can down the road and buy the EU some time before Erdogan starts making more demands. For all intents and purposes, it appears that Erdogan has used the refugee crisis to extort the EU.
“The money spent by the refugees will go directly into local economies, giving a boost to communities so generously hosting refugees,” [Ertharin Cousin] added.
No matter how Globalists like George Soros attempt to manipulate public opinion towards the refugee crisis, the people of Europe are not buying. The inability to disperse refugees means Turkey is the one to bear the brunt of the Globalist’s war in Syria. Unhappy with this proposition, and recognizing the importance of Turkey’s role, Erdogan has turned the tables on the non-elected bureaucrats running the EU, fracturing the Western coalition against Assad. The rejection of the EU’s refugee policies has produced a domino effect, causing the West’s geopolitical plans to come to a screeching halt in Syria. This is the true reason why the acceptance of the EU’s refugee policies is being pushed so intensely in Europe.
Turkey has complained that the money, which was agreed to in exchange for Ankara’s help in preventing migrants from entering the EU, is arriving too slowly.
Chirographer 
This is a valid perspective, though poor strategy on the part of Erdogan. Forcible entrance into the EU will only make his marginalization and maybe even forced exit easier from a practical and narrative standpoint once he loses his leverage. Short term play with long term players.
I look forward to discussing your piece on NK’s most recent test today.
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True, but I think Erdogan knows that he ultimately won’t have his way. I think he’s just trying to take pressure off of Turkey, even if for the short-term. I heard the refugee numbers are at 3 million in Turkey, so who knows what else they’re doing to deal with that. Erdogan’s been using his leverage to strike out at the Kurds as well, which both the US and Russia don’t want. I think he’s banking on trade with Russia and China and the Black Sea oil pipelines for the long-term.
As for the test, it was 10 kilotons which is tiny. That’s smaller than Little Boy, and their computers look like they run on vacuum tubes. I do wonder how the Chinese plan to deal with them if they take control of the region.
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