Europe’s message to Turkey is clear: we are in favour of the burden being distributed fairly but we do not accept the exploitation of people already in a desperate situation as political bargaining chips. Negotiating tactics that take place at the expense of the most vulnerable will not lead to the desired outcome.

If there are funding gaps for the provision of vital humanitarian aid for refugees, whether in Turkey, in Idlib or in Jordan and Lebanon, we will never refuse to engage in talks. But that is based on the assumption that Turkey will comply with its part of the agreement.