EU official: Turkey will gain by curbing migration to Cyprus

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS
Associated Press

ATHIENOU, Cyprus (AP) — A top European Union official says Turkey “has much to gain” if it works with the 27-member bloc to stem migrant arrivals from its airports and shores to the ethnically divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus. European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas said Sunday he’s hopeful Turkish authorities will show the same degree of cooperation on curbing migrant arrivals to Cyprus as they did on helping the EU deal with a Belarussian “hybrid attack” of pushing migrants across its border into Poland. Schinas will travel to Turkey next month for talks on how migrants are reaching Cyprus’ breakaway north, either through flights from Istanbul or by boat from Turkey’s southern coast. Cyprus accuses Turkey of funneling migrants to the island’s breakaway north.