EU and Turkey to begin visa negotiations

An ordinary Turkish passport holder may be able to enter freely into EU countries in a near future as the negotiations between the union and Turkey to start a visa facilitation process for Turkish citizens, as citizens of a candidate country have reached the home stretch.

Turkey’s concerns over the 79 articles of an EU road map that intends to find a ready Turkey to negotiate about the visa exemption now seem to have evaporated when the sides agreed on a middle ground formula.

The formula will give Turkey a chance to reflect her views via an “annotated road map”, according to diplomatic sources.

The visa facilitation process will start almost simultaneously with a readmission deal that Turkey should sign to accept repatriation of thousands of people who illegally migrated into EU countries via Turkish territory.

EU will give green light to visa facilitation process for Turkish citizens after monitoring the readmission deal’s functionality; Turkey on the other hand will monitor if the European pledges are fulfilled and suspend the readmission deal if the EU fails to keep the promises.

The issue is expected to be taken up by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who is predicted to be in Brussels on Wednesday, and EU Commission member responsible of internal affairs Cecillia Malmström and another member who is responsible of EU enlargement policies Stefan Füle.