“Today EU and Turkey reached a joint agreement to deal with the unprecedented refugee crisis. Europe will get through this and this is the first example towards this direction” German Chancellor Angela Merkel after EU summit concluded

“The agreement will help to improve the situation, while improving the living conditions of these people” she said adding that “We must not believe though that what we have agreed today are enough. There are still significant gaps”.

Mrs. Merkel also thanked Turkish Prime Minister for “doing everything he could to reach this agreement”.

“We have made a step forward. The Chapter 17 will open and we agreed to fight against the traffickers along with Turkey,” she said.

“We agreed that immigrants trying to enter Greece illegally from Turkey will be sent back to Turkey” Mrs. Merkel said noting that the agreement will take effect from March 20, 2016.