The deal between the EU and Turkey has been a major step forward in the refugee crisis, but the stress of such a large number of refugees on Turkey’s young legal system on immigration and asylum, and limited resources, as well as the government’s ability to follow its own procedures and live up to the standards of a “safe third country” are now coming into question on the international stage. This paper examines these questions and refers to the paradoxical conditions in Turkey that contemporaneously reflect the deeprooted limitations of its existing protection capacity and the emerging policies towards the integration of refugees.
