IKV Chairperson Ayhan Zeytinoğlu highlighted the challenges faced during visa application processes for short-term travel to the Schengen Area and stated that this situation is unacceptable for citizens of the Republic of Türkiye, a candidate country and customs union partner of the EU.

Chairperson Zeytinoğlu stated the following:

The Visa Liberalisation Dialogue Must Be Concluded As Soon As Possible

“The dialogue initiated by Türkiye with the EU for visa-free travel to the Schengen Area has been ongoing since 2013. Türkiye has carried out significant reforms to meet the 72 criteria during this process. However, reforms have largely stalled over the past 10 years. While 66 criteria have been met, six criteria have still not been fulfilled. These include introducing an anti-corruption strategy, judicial cooperation with EU countries, an operational cooperation agreement with Europol, implementation of the readmission agreement, and revision of the anti-terror law. The revision of the anti-terror law requires defining terrorism in a way that does not undermine freedom of thought and expression, which is already recommended by the Council of Europe, of which Türkiye is a member. Completing this process is necessary for citizens of the Republic of Türkiye to travel visa-free to the Schengen Area.

Citizens of All Other Candidate Countries Travel Visa-Free to the EU

There are eight other countries besides Türkiye that are candidates for EU membership. These are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia (process suspended), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine. Since Kosovo is not recognized as a candidate country by all EU members, it is referred to as a potential candidate country. Citizens of all these countries benefit from visa-free travel to the EU. However, citizens of the Republic of Türkiye experience difficulties in the visa process. It is not even possible to get an appointment to apply. It is necessary to wait for months. To receive VIP service, payments far above the standard fee must be made. Rejection rates are also high. Although the average rejection rate decreased from 16.1% to 14.5% in 2023, it is still a high rate. We frequently see that students who have been accepted by EU universities or want to benefit from exchange opportunities under the Erasmus program are victimized during this process, cannot make it by the beginning of the semester, and even those who are accepted receive visa rejections.

We Have Paid 775 Million Euros in Application Fees in the Last 15 Years

The financial aspect of the issue is also critical. Turkish citizens have paid 775 million euros over the past 15 years just for Schengen visa applications. This only includes the application itself. It does not include expenses such as certified translations, banking transactions, notary services, traveling to another city for the visa application, or VIP services for priority processing. The visa process has created a vast industry consisting of consulates, intermediary institutions, etc.

Visa-Free Travel is Directly Linked to the Customs Union

Compared to all candidate countries that can travel visa-free to the Schengen Area, Türkiye’s EU process dates back much further. When Türkiye applied for membership in 1987, only Albania among the countries that are candidates today was an independent state. Before becoming a candidate country, Türkiye was a customs union partner of the EC based on an association agreement. The customs union is a highly advanced form of economic integration that requires the implementation of a common external trade policy and alignment in areas such as competition and intellectual property. While integrating economies, it is not acceptable to ignore people, who are the most fundamental element of the economy, and their free movement. While goods circulate freely within the customs union, citizens of the Republic of Türkiye who produce, sell, and transport those goods face visa barriers. Businesspeople who want to travel to the Schengen Area for a business meeting or to attend a fair are required to obtain an invitation letter. They have to apply months in advance. However, most of the time, it is not even possible to get an appointment. This situation creates invisible walls. It makes travel to the Schengen Area practically impossible. As we talk about updating the customs union, it is impossible not to address the visa issue. It must definitely be handled together, and a solution must be produced.”