The US based law firm Henley & Partners released the latest Visa Restrictions Index which is a global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom that their citizens enjoy.

With the cooperation of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Henley & Partners lists 199 nationalities (passports), among which 193 are United Nations Member States, in accordance with the numbers of other countries to which visa-free access is possible.

According to the 2014 figures, Finland, Germany, Sweden, the UK and the US, who can all access 174 countries visa-free (the highest score achieved), are ranked in first position. Same as the previous year, Afghanistan received the lowest score in the Index which can access only 28 countries without visa restrictions.

According to the Visa Restrictions Index, Turkish citizens can travel to 100 countries without any visa restriction in 2014. This number places Turkey on the 38^th ranking along with Russia. Therefore, Turkey has advanced 4 further steps in the ranking compared to the 2013 Index. Last year, Turkey shared the same ranking with St. Lucia with the right to visa-free travel to 94 countries.

According to the Visa Restrictions Index in 2014:

• Out of 5 top-ranked countries in the Index, 4 countries are EU Member States (Finland, Germany, Sweden and the UK).
• 18 EU Member States are among the top-ranked 10 countries and citizens of these countries can travel without visa restrictions to at least 162 countries in the world.
• Croatian citizens have the passport which allows the least visa-free travel among other EU Member States. The Croatian passport, which ranks as 22^nd, gives the opportunity to visa-free travel to 138 countries.
• Among EU candidate countries, Turkey is ranked after Iceland, Serbia and Macedonia. Only the Albanian passport with 91 countries to travel visa-free is behind Turkey.    
• Apart from Russia, all G-8 countries are among the top-ranked 3 countries and citizens of these countries can travel visa-free to almost every country in the world.
• Among G-20 countries, Turkey is ahead of 5 other fellow Member States on visa free travel (South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, India and China).  

IKV Deputy Secretary-General and Research Director Melih Özsöz evaluated the results of the Visa Restrictions Index: “The results of the Index can be considered as a reference to the “strongest” and “weakest” passports in the world. From this perspective, EU Member States with whom Turkey is currently under accession negotiation process have the strongest passports. According to the Index, the Turkish passport gives the opportunity for visa-free travel to 100 countries and Turkey is ranked as the 38^th. Last year, the Turkish passport ranked as 42^nd and gave the opportunity to travel visa-free to 94 countries across the world. This year, Turkey advanced 4 steps in the ranking”.

Underlining the small number of potential trade partners for Turkey among countries which Turkish citizens have the right to visa-free travel, IKV Deputy Secretary-General and Research Director Özsöz mentioned: “The similar situation is evident in the list of countries that do not require a visa for Turkish citizens published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to the figures of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkish citizens can travel without visa restrictions for touristic purposes and thus exempt from visa obligations or by taking a visa at the border to almost 90 countries in South America, North and Central America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Yet, there is not any EU Member State among these countries. Furthermore, Turkish citizens are also required visa to travel to six G-8 countries apart from Japan and Russia. A similar situation applies to G-20 countries, as well. Turkish citizens are required to obtain visa at the border when travelling to fourteen G-20 countries apart from Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, South Korea and Russia. Therefore, when one considers the countries that are major trade partners or potential major trade partners for Turkey where Turkish citizens can travel visa free, there is a very few number of them”.

IKV Deputy Secretary-General and Research Director Özsöz further underlined the visa liberalisation dialogue for Turkish citizens which has started in December 2013 and stressed the importance to continue the process without disruption: “At this juncture, after the signature of the Readmission Agreement between Turkey and the EU, the visa liberalisation dialogue which envisages visa free travel for Turkish citizens holds a particular importance. It is of utmost importance that Turkey fulfils swiftly and completely the criteria described in the framework of visa liberalisation dialogue. This would be the key for the lifting of the visa restrictions imposed by EU Member States upon Turkish citizens since the 1980s. Therefore, with the end of this unfair practice, Turkish citizens could have the right travel visa-free to EU Member States. Thus, in the upcoming years, this shall further improve Turkey’s ranking in the list and the Turkish passport shall take its deserved place in the list along with the EU passports”.