Ankara's Migrant Blackmail Weapon Brings Berlin to Its Knees

According to an alleged leaked cable from Britain's ambassador to Germany, Ankara's ability to "open the floodgates" for the migrant flow into Europe gives President Recep Tayyip Erdogan an upper hand in negotiations with the EU.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Germany is allegedly ready to meet Turkey halfway on visa waiver agreement to overcome the refugee crisis, the Telegraph reported.

"[German chancellor Angela] Merkel has begun to paint the deal in humanitarian terms…to pre-empt human rights opposition. Officials here have shown some interest, behind the scenes, about possible compromise formulations on the anti-terror law," the Telegraph reported quoting a leaked cable from Britain’s ambassador to Germany Sebastian Wood.

Wood also express his concern that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has an upper hand in the dispute since he is able to "open the floodgates" for the migrant flow into Europe.

In March, Brussels and Ankara agreed on a deal, under which Turkey vowed to take back all undocumented migrants who arrive in the European Union through its territory in exchange for Syrian refugees accommodated in Turkey, on a one-for-one basis. In return, the bloc pledged to accelerate the Turkish EU accession bid and introduce a visa-free regime between Turkey and the Schengen Area.

The European Union is currently struggling to manage a massive refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people leaving conflict-torn countries in the Middle East and North Africa to escape violence and poverty and seeking asylum in Europe.