Turkey says hopes for new EU refugee deal by March 26

Turkey hopes to reach a new agreement with Europe to deal with refugees in time for the next EU leaders' summit, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday.

"If we reach an agreement by March 26 when there will be an EU summit, this issue will come on to the agenda of this meeting," Cavusoglu said in an interview with Turkey's Anadolu Agency.

"We are ready for constructive work," he added.

He spoke a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held tense discussions with EU presidents Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel in Brussels.

Turkey's decision at the end of February to re-open its border for refugees seeking to reach Europe sparked a row with Brussels, as well as harsh exchanges with Greece.

"If we are to come up with a roadmap with the EU, we expect them to be sincere," Cavusoglu said.

"It is not only about keeping migrants in return for more money," he added.

Turkey agreed in 2016 to prevent migrant departures in exchange for $6.8 billion to be spent on refugees (€6 billion) and talks on building closer ties.

It says it has not received all the money, and that other promises – including improved visa and trade rules – have not been met.

Erdogan skipped the post-talks press conference in Brussels on Monday.

"Clearly we do have our disagreements, but we have spoken plainly and we have spoken openly to each other," Von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, told reporters.

Turkey hosts some four million refugees – most of them from Syria – and faces a fresh influx as the Syrian regime, backed by Russia and Iran, seeks to retake the last rebel stronghold of Idlib on the Turkish border.

Europe has said it will consider taking 1,500 child refugees but has focused on reinforcing Greece's borders. Berlin said on Tuesday the city plans to take in 100 children.

Although Turkey and Russia agreed on a ceasefire for Idlib last week, previous peace deals have proved temporary and Ankara has called for greater assistance from its NATO allies.

Turkey, Russia to patrol either side of new Syrian corridor

Turkey's military will patrol to the north of a security corridor being set up around a highway in northwest Syria's Idlib province and Russian forces will patrol the southern side, Cavusoglu said.

A Russian military delegation arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for talks on details of the accord, Cavusoglu said.

The specifics of the corridor, stretching 6 km (about 4 miles) north and south of the east-west M4 highway, are due to be agreed within seven days of the deal.

Under the agreement, joint Turkish-Russian patrols were to begin along the highway itself on March 15. It was not clear what would happen to the pocket of rebels which the agreement will create to the south of the highway.

Cavusoglu said Russia would ensure that Syrian regime forces do not try to enter the corridor along the M4 and that the Turkish-backed opposition would remain in place.

He also said there had been a small violation of the ceasefire by Syrian regime forces on Monday and that the Russians had sent them a strong warning.