Visa-free travel for Turkish citizens was key demand of the Turkey-EU deal that returns migrants from Greece to Turkey.
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The Interior Minister strongly raised the need for fulfillment by Turkey of all obligations towards all EU Member States, such as those arising from the Roadmap visa for liberalization.
Ministers at the Council of the European Union announced plans for an “emergency brake” on visa-free travel, after France and Germany proposed curbing travel if too many citizens overstayed in the Schengen Zone.
On Friday, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told reporters that visa liberalization can not “happen without any precautions” or “without a managed calendar”. “Yet we need an emergency brake for all visa free countries to make sure that visa liberalisation can not be abused”, Council President Klaas Dijkhoff was quoted in the statement as saying after the Brussels meeting.
“Yet we need.to make sure that visa liberalisation can not be abused”.
The waivers would grant citizens of the four visa-free travel in Europe for business or leisure purposes for up to 90 days.
The system would kick in to ensure security or if a country fails to readmit people who left its territory but are not allowed to stay in Europe.
Additionally, the European Commission would be allowed to directly confront specific countries, instead of waiting for individual member states to act on their own.
Turkey is required to meet 72 conditions, among them narrowing the scope of its anti-terror laws, in order to gain visa liberalization for its 79 million nationals in Europe’s passport-free Schengen area.
The document will come into force from the date of publication.
Turkey has summoned the top European Union diplomat in Ankara to protest against comments in which he reportedly criticised the conduct of Turkish officials in implementing a landmark refugee deal, diplomatic sources said Wednesday.
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“To get visa liberalization, it’s important that they change their terrorism law”.
