Brussels struck a controversial deal with Ankara in March in which Turkey vowed to step up its efforts to prevent migrants from leaving Turkey for the European Union and to take back migrants who have already have crossed the Aegean Sea for Greece.
Advertisement
Talking to the press in Berlin on May 4 alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was hopeful that Turkey would soon realize the remaining benchmarks to obtain the right for its citizens to travel inside the European Union without a visa.
The European Parliament Conference of Presidents (EP President and political group leaders) on Wednesday debated the package of proposals adopted by Commission on refugee and migration policies.
“The Turkish authorities have made remarkable progress since the 18 March EU-Turkey Summit, and we trust Turkey is committed to delivering on all fronts as soon as possible”, said Dimitris Avramopoulos, Europe’s commissioner for migration, home affairs and citizenship.
More than 1 million migrants entered Europe a year ago, often traveling to Lesbos from Turkey before heading on to northern Europe.
One of the biggest obstacles in Turkey’s relations with the European Union is Ankara’s refusal to recognize European Union member Cyprus, the Mediterranean island divided for four decades between the Turkish-controlled north, recognized only by Ankara, and the Greek Cypriot south, which has worldwide recognition. There are five remaining benchmarks that still need to be implemented but they are considered just a formality. Turkish citizens will not be allowed, however, to get jobs in Schengen Area countries under the proposal.
Germany, France, Austria, Denmark and Sweden requested the extension, saying the border situation remains “extremely volatile”.
Since the Turkey has proposed a visa-free access for its nation, the number of refugees going to Greece has declined from as many as 10,000 visitors a day.
As part of a Turkey-EU migrant deal reached to curb the flow of migrants into the bloc, the EU pledged visa-free travel for Turkish citizens by July on the stipulation that Turkey met all 72 required criteria.
Under those rules, people seeking asylum must lodge their application in the country where they first arrived, and should be returned there if they try to move elsewhere in the bloc.
Last month, however, European Council President Donald Tusk said the deal had begun to produce results.
Advertisement
“It’s part of the EU-Turkey agreement and it’s also part of the long ongoing liberalisation dialogue with Turkey”, he said.
