David Cameron's EU Meeting With Angela Merkel Told In Very Awkward Photos

If looks could kill...

David Cameron had some serious shade thrown at him by Angela Merkel during a group photo of EU leaders.

As politicians gathered for a Brussels summit on whether to admit Turkey to the EU and seal a deal with the country to stem the flow of migrants into Europe, they assembled for what looked like an incredibly awkward group photo.

Thursday was the start of the two-day summit of the Council of the European Union, when issues that threaten to overwhelm the union are to be debated.

Cameron, who has arranged for his country to stage a referendum that might see the UK leave, gave off awkward signals during the photo shoot.

Carl Court via Getty Images
Carl Court via Getty Images
Carl Court via Getty Images
Carl Court via Getty Images
Carl Court via Getty Images
Carl Court via Getty Images
JOHN THYS via Getty Images
Cameron (L) talks with Merkel (C) and Bulgarian Prime minister Roesen Plevneliev (R).
Carl Court via Getty Images
Francois Walschaerts/AP
Francois Walschaerts/AP
Francois Walschaerts/AP
Francois Walschaerts/AP
Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP
Merkel, left, speaks with from right, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, French President Francois Hollande and Cameron. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
Francois Walschaerts/AP
Francois Walschaerts/AP
Merkel, left, speaks with Cameron, centre, and Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila, right. (AP Photo/Francois Walshaerts)
Francois Walschaerts/AP
Francois Walschaerts/AP
Francois Walschaerts/AP
Francois Walschaerts/AP

At the summit, Cameron said that reaching a deal to allow migrants to be returned from Greek islands to Turkey would represent "good progress" and said it would mean fewer coming to Britain.

Under the terms of the proposed deal, the European Union would take one Syrian refugee from camps in Turkey for every migrant returned to the country. Ankara stands to gain 6 billion euros (£4.7bn) in aid as well as visa-free travel for its nationals.

But Mr Cameron said that provisions on the visas and refugee resettlement would not apply to Britain because it is not part of the EU's Schengen border-free area.

"Because we have kept our own border controls, because we are out of Schengen, we won't be offering visa-free access to Turks as part of this agreement," he said.

"We maintain our own immigration policy.

"We have already said what we are going to do in terms of taking Syrian refugees to Britain and that is under way. We won't be taking more because of what is discussed here today.

"If we can get an agreement that returns the migrants from the Greek islands to Turkey that would be good progress."

Close

What's Hot