European Commission backs visa-free travel for Turkish citizens
The European Commission on Wednesday backed visa-free travel for Turkey’s citizens to the bloc, handing the issue over to EU member states and the European Parliament for a final decision, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing officials.
The commission’s decision came at a meeting of the EU’s top officials in Brussels.
The commission is however expected to say there are still several key reforms tied to the visa-free bid Ankara must urgently complete in coming weeks. Turkey has completed 65 of the 72 conditions to acquire visa-free status, one of the officials said.
The commission also decided Wednesday to recommend visa-free access for citizens from Kosovo. That move also needs backing by EU governments and lawmakers.
The EU promised to fast-track Turkey’s visa-free bid as part of its migration deal with Ankara in March, establishing target date at the end of June to try to complete the process. Turkish officials have warned that if they are not granted visa-free status by then, they could pull back from the deal, under which they have agreed to take back thousands of Syrian and other asylum seekers from Greece.
However, EU member states and lawmakers have raised concerns about broadening visa-free access to the bloc to Turkey. A clear majority of member states and the European Parliament must approve the deal.
Among the reforms Turkey must still push through are several related to sweeping terrorism exemptions to basic rights and freedoms.
As part of efforts to persuade member states to accept the deal, the European Commission also agreed to reinforce its safeguard mechanisms for visa-free agreements, making it easier to suspend the deals if there is a problem.
Under the visa-free arrangement, Turkish citizens with biometric passports will be able to access the EU for 90 days without a visa. They won't be permitted to work in the EU.
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