BAGIS ANSWERS QUESTIONS ON VISA EXEMPTION ON A LIVE BROADCAST

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis, making statements on Memorandum of Understanding on Turkey-EU Visa Liberalization Dialogue, on Readmission Agreement and on the agenda items on the TV channel TGRT, said that the agreement was achieved following an effort of 30 years and underlined that the visa procedure applied to Turkish citizens by EU countries was the result of the wrong decisions and twisted mentality of 1980 coup.

Bagis, stating that Turkish citizens were able to travel to 70 countries without visa and this number would be more than 100 within 3, 5 years, said that this period of 3, 5 years could be longer or shorter based on the mutual fulfillment of responsibilities by the relevant parties.

Minister Bagis, stressing the establishment of a civil border security, indicated that the task of protecting Turkey’s borders should be taken from the military and as the Turkish National Police under the body of Ministry of Interior; there should be a separate department with experts on border security.

Bagis said the followings:

“Citizens of third countries can illegally go to Europe through Turkey. If this situation will be proven and Turkey will accept this, we have to work on taking these people back, providing shelters and then sending them back to their countries. We will cover some of the infrastructural and logistical costs by means of EU funds. After we fulfill these items, we will achieve the right to free movement. These developments are based on the concrete “economical strengthening”. In these days, being right is not enough. If it was, then we could make this happen 5 or 10 years ago. Thanks God, we are powerful today. Previously, there was a concern as “Turkish citizens will settle in here and make trouble”. But now, they invite Turks as “executives.” They invite Turks to solve their problems.”