EU 'unsure' what Davuto?lu exit means for Turkey migrant deal

The European Union is "unsure" how the departure of Turkey's prime minister will affect the deal he struck with the EU to curb migration, the EU's foreign affairs chief said on May 5, as Brussels watched events in Ankara with unease. 

"It's a bit too early to define if it will have implications and in that case of what kind," Federica Mogherini said during a visit to Kosovo after Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu announced he was stepping down. 

"We will obviously discuss this first of all with the Turkish authorities and define together how to move forward." 

Other senior European officials were reluctant to be drawn on the departure of Davuto?lu, whom many found more engaged and flexible in negotiating on the migrant crisis than the President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an - though one said bluntly it was "bad news". 

"This is up to the Turks," an EU official said, echoing others who were anxious not to be seen to meddle in others' affairs.

"We lived up to our end of the deal," a third EU official said, noting the European Commission had delivered on May 4 on a key part of its bargain struck with Davuto?lu in March. 

The EU executive has asked EU states to lift visa requirements for Turks by July, something Davuto?lu portrayed to Turkish voters as a key achievement in return for Turkey taking back any migrant or refugee reaching the Greek islands. Other parts of the deal have yet to be implemented, however. 

A fourth senior EU official stressed to Reuters that although Davuto?lu, widely seen in Brussels as a more amenable, moderate negotiating partner than Erdo?an, had clearly taken the lead role on the migration deal, the president also backed it. 

"The agreement was with Turkey, not Davuto?lu,"...