German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited a refugee camp in south-eastern Turkey on Saturday in an attempt to bolster a migration deal between the European Union and Ankara that is drawing heavy criticism from rights groups, dpa reported. Merkel, EU President Donald Tusk and European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans visited a camp in Nizip - near the Syrian border and about 40 kilometres east of Gaziantep - to inaugurate an EU-funded project in support of Syrian children and hold talks with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. In a deal agreed to last month, the EU is offering Ankara a package of incentives - from billions in refugee aid to progress on visa-free access to the bloc for Turkish citizens - in exchange for help in returning migrants. Turkey already hosts 2.2 million Syrian refugees. Championed by Merkel and EU leaders but called inhumane by critics, it is aimed at discouraging people smuggling via treacherous sea routes by cutting off the main migration trail from the Middle East to Europe.
