THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL FOR VISA-FREE TRAVEL CAN BE SEEN BUT TURKEY STILL NEEDS TO DO ITS HOMEWORK ON 46 CRITERIA

7 March 2016

The European Commission published on 4 March 2016 its second Report assessing the progress made by Turkey in terms of fulfilling the requirements of its visa liberalisation roadmap. As the report was being revealed, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos expressed his satisfaction in Turkey’s progress although it is in the frontline of the Syrian refugee crisis. In the report published before today’s critical Turkey-EU Summit, there an assessment of Turkey’s progress in meeting the 72 criteria in order to achieve visa liberalisation has been made.

The report not only details the progress that has already been achieved by Turkey but also reminds the 46 criteria which still need to be implemented by Turkey. These requirements, which have been translated into Turkish by IKV just after its publication by the Commission, include criteria with respect to migration management and the Readmission Agreement. According to these criteria, Turkey is expected to achieve further progress in combating irregular migration, preventing migration smuggling, implementing Turkey-EU Readmission Agreement, enhancing border controls, adapting the visa regime, advancing in the fight against organized crime and corruption as well as making further progress regarding the law on data protection and the law on the fight against all forms of discrimination. Only when Turkey will meet all these criteria, it will be possible to lift the visa requirements for Turkish citizens in October 2016.

Visa-Free Travel Will Be Achieved if Turkey Fulfils All of the Criteria

Along with the second report on the visa liberalisation roadmap, the Commission also published a Staff Working Document where it assesses Turkey’s progress till this day and the possible effects of visa liberalisation upon migration. The Commission also evaluates the effect of visa liberalisation upon migration flows as it conducted a research regarding the assumptions that migration towards the EU would increase and a security risk would be created as a result of lifting visa requirements on Turkish citizens. Whilst the Commission recognises that visa liberalisation may have an effect in increasing to some extent the migration towards Member States which have a sizeable Turkish diaspora, it stressed that it would have a limited effect. Such a positive assessment, whilst also being based on Turkey’s capacity in meeting the remaining criteria, significantly strengthens the possibility for the Commission to propose to lift the visas for Turkish citizens in October 2016.  

The document also assessed the level of progress achieved by Turkey to this day and evaluated the 72 criteria included within the framework of the Turkey-EU Visa Liberalisation Dialogue Roadmap as follows:

• Requirement fulfilled;
• Almost fulfilled;
• Fulfilled only partially, but with good prospects for further progress;
• Only partially fulfilled;
• Requirement not fulfilled.

According to this classification, while considering the categories “requirement fulfilled”, “almost fulfilled” and “fulfilled only partially, but with good prospects for further progress”, it can be concluded that Turkey his already or is close in meeting 57 criteria out of 72 criteria.

The most important pending issue remains the entry of third country nationals to the EU through Turkey. Whilst this number was 57,000 in 2011; it increased approximately 15 times and reached 888,000 in 2015. Following the Turkey-EU Summit which was held on 29 November 2015 and where the parties agreed on a joint action plan, the Commission recognises Turkey’s increased efforts in this particular area. Furthermore, the decrease in the number of irregular migrants entering the EU through Turkey and the implementation of the Turkey-EU Readmission Agreement in June 2016 represents sine qua non conditions for the EU.

Economic Development Foundation