Conditions met for visa free travel: Turkey to EU

Ankara : Turkey said yesterday it had fulfilled all conditions on visa-free travel to Europe, adding it hoped Brussels would respond and lend “momentum” to better ties between Ankara and the EU.

As part of a controversial agreement signed in March 2016, the EU offered Ankara billions of euros and visa liberalisation in exchange for Turkey stemming the flow of migrants after Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II.

But Turkey has long been irritated that Brussels has not yet approved visa liberalisation because of its continued calls for Ankara to reform its anti-terror laws.

“The 72 criteria for visa-free travel have been completed,” presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters in Ankara, saying Turkey had informed the EU.

“We hope and expect that this will add new momentum to Turkey-EU relations.”

Kalin hailed the development, saying “from today we can say there is a new process”.

Kalin did not elaborate on how Turkey intended to satisfy the EU on anti-terror laws.