Saturday, Apr 27, 2024 | Last Update : 02:26 AM IST
‘Turkey to develop EU policies in line with President remarks’
Turkey will develop the necessary policies on visa liberalisation with the European Union and execute them in line with President Tayyip Erdogan’s recent statements, the Turkish foreign ministry spoke
Turkey will develop the necessary policies on visa liberalisation with the European Union and execute them in line with President Tayyip Erdogan’s recent statements, the Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.
Mr Erdogan had on Friday lashed out at the bloc for demanding Turkey change its terrorism laws to meet EU political requirements to ease European travel for Turks.
Spokesperson Tanju Bilgic also said Turkey has readmitted 386 migrants so far, including 14 Syrians, and 125 Syrians have been resettled in Europe, part of the deal on migrants.
Membership of the European Union remains Turkey’s strategic goal and a deal to liberalise visas for Turks should accelerate the accession process, Mr Erdogan said on Monday.
“EU membership, a strategic goal for Turkey, will be a source of stability and inspiration for the region,” Mr Erdogan said in the statement, released to coincide with Europe Day.
“I hope that the agreed visa exemption (deal) will relieve some of the frustration caused by more than 50 years of waiting at the EU’s gates... and that it accelerates Turkey’s accession process,” Mr Erdogan said.
The EU has asked member states to grant visa-free travel to Turks in return for Ankara stopping migrants from reaching Europe, but said Turkey still had to change some legislation, including bringing its terrorism laws in line with EU standards. Turkey has repeatedly said that without visa liberalisation, there would be no migrant deal.
Concerns are rising in Europe that the deal — which has sharply cut the number of migrants reaching the EU from Turkish shores — may collapse after last week’s announcement by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, the main Turkish broker of the accord, that he will step down amid tensions with Mr Erdogan.
Mr Erdogan’s reaffirmation of Turkey’s European Union aspirations comes amid growing unease within the 28-nation bloc about what is viewed as the Turkish President’s authoritarian style of leadership and his intolerance of media criticism.
