Turkey expects visa-free travel decision from Europe

Turkey is expecting a big step from the European Union on May 4 toward ending visa requirements for Turkish citizens, as a deal to get Turkey to stop migrants from entering the bloc gathers pace.

The EU’s executive commission is expected to invite member states and lawmakers to vote before the end of June to lift visas on Turks for short-term leisure or business stays.

As of March 4, Turkey had met only around half of the 72 conditions attached to the deal, but top Turkish officials have said the country closed the gap in eight weeks.

 “It is obvious that we have been engaged in a sincere effort to take steps on issues under our responsibility by making parliament work as fast as possible,” said Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş after a cabinet meeting on May 2.

“I think this will be observed by sincere politicians in Europe,” he said, adding that only a few criteria might have been left before the deadline.

“I hope no one will use this as an excuse against Turkey,” he said.

The commission lauded a decree from Ankara on May 3 to grant visa-free travel in Turkey to the citizens of all 28 EU member states as meeting “one more of the important benchmarks” for visa liberalization...
 [hurriyetdailynews.com]
3/5/16
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Related:

• Late on May 2 the Turkish cabinet approved waiving visas for visitors from all 28 EU member states, once Europe relaxes its own visa requirements for Turks, another of the 72 criteria for the deal...

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• Preliminary EU agreement on the abolition of visas for Turkey, reports BBC News

• Turkey to get visa-free EU deal once 'all criteria' met