EU to Uphold Principles in Migrant Deal With Turkey - Belgian PM

The European Union will not deviate from its principles in striking a deal with Turkey to tackle the European refugee crisis, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said Thursday.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – The Belgian leader added that the 28-member bloc planned to notify Turkey of the need to respect press freedom and human rights.

"It is better not to have an agreement rather than enter into a bad agreement. There will be no deviations from our values," Michel told reporters on arrival to the European Council.

The European leaders are expected to cement the EU-Turkey action plan envisioning a one-for-one exchange of undocumented migrants for approved refugees at the March 17-18 European Council in Brussels.

Under the provisionally agreed plan, Turkey was promised accelerated visa liberalization and EU membership talks.

Additionally, the bloc would allocate an equivalent of $3.3 billion over two years on refugee projects in Turkey. On Wednesday, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu indicated that another $3.3 billion for the year 2018 would be on the council’s agenda.

The European Union faced criticism for turning a blind eye to Turkey’s recent crackdown on opposition media outlets as the bloc is perceived to prioritize combating undocumented migration with Ankara’s help.