Following the meeting at the Parliament, Schulz briefly addressed journalists, telling them: “Relations with Turkey were, are and remain very difficult, but for the benefit of refugees we need to cooperate.” Schulz warned the refugee crisis was at risk of escalating into a humanitarian crisis: “This is why we should do all we can.”

During his meeting with Davutoğlu, Schulz also brought up Zaman, Turkey’s largest newspaper which was placed under state control on Friday following a court ruling: “I had a very open exchange with the Prime Minister, who disagreed with my point of view. I think this is not a surprise. I insisted that in the European Union freedom of the media is a key element of our European identity. The Prime Minister explained the case from his point of view.”