EU Says Turkey Still to Meet Conditions for Visa Free Deal
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The European Union says Turkey must respect all the conditions of its migrant deal with the bloc before it can secure visa-free travel to Europe for its citizens.
EU Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said Monday that "if Turkey wants visa liberalization the benchmarks must be met," AP reported.
The visa waiver is part of a package of incentives the EU has offered Turkey to stop migrants heading to Europe and take back thousands more. Turkey must still meet five conditions to secure the waiver, including changing the way it defines terrorism so that journalists and academics are not targeted.
In an interview published in Germany, Turkey's foreign minister said Ankara would walk away from the deal if no near-term date is set for the waiver.