IT IS NOW TIME TURKEY RECEIVED EQUAL TREATMENT ON THE VISA ISSUE

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis stated that the visa requirement imposed by the European Union countries on Turkey had no logic.

At the press meeting held after his meeting with Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship in Istanbul within the framework of the General Assembly of European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC), indicating that the meeting was positive, Bagis touched upon the visa issue.

Noting that it was not fair for the European Union countries to impose visa requirement on Turkey, Bagis said, “Turkey will continue to maintain its firm stance with regard to this issue at the G-20 summit in which our Prime Minister will also participate. I would also like to make a call to the whole construction sector. What I say is let’s tear down the visa walls with our bulldozers now. It is now time Turkey, being a member of the Customs Union of the European Union, also received equal treatment as the other candidate states and other negotiating states on the visa issue.”

Bagis continued his speech saying:

“If today the citizens of Brazil which has almost threefold population as compared to Turkey can enter the Schengen area, if the citizens of Belize which has nothing to do with the European Union can enter the Schengen area, if the citizens of Serbia, Albania, Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina which have not started membership negotiations yet can enter the European Union countries without visa, so there is no logic in imposing visa requirement on a country like Turkey which is continuing membership negotiations, which is a member of the Customs Union, 50 percent of whose foreign trade is with Europe and 65 percent of whose tourists coming from Europe.

If the illogical visa requirement imposed on the citizens of Turkish Republic is lifted, this will benefit most the tourism sector of the European Union. Especially Greece, which is nearby, will be the country which will profit most from this. We do not want visa facility, we do want visa exemption. This is significant both for Turkey and our citizens and for the interests of Europe.”

Source: AA