EU-Türkiye Relations with a Special Focus on Syrian Migrants: Readmission Agreement and the 18 March Agreement

Abstract

After the start of the Syrian civil war in March 2011, millions of Syrians were forced to flee their country. As other effects of the war and the intensity of migration increased, the situation developed into a humanitarian crisis. In response, Türkiye, as a neighbor of Syria, implemented an open-door policy towards Syrian migrants; and as of 2023, the number of Syrians under temporary protection in Türkiye reached approximately 3.5 million. This number is not only the highest number of Syrians but also is incomparably higher than the number of Syrians in other countries. However, the migration flow towards Türkiye facilitated an influx of migrants to the borders of the European Union (EU). As a result of this influx, the EU needed to join hands with Türkiye. This research analyses EU-Türkiye relations as regards migrating Syrians. In brief, the two actors signed the Readmission Agreement and the 18 March Memorandum of Understanding to prevent the flow of Syrians to the EU. In the actuality created by these texts, the process observed is considered to have yielded a result in favor of the EU. In other words, the flow of migration to the EU through Türkiye has been largely prevented. However, from the Turkish perspective, Türkiye has had to bear the huge expense of hosting approximately 3.5 million Syrians but by and large, has not received the expected support from the EU.