concessions to Ankara, writes Spiegel.
The European Commission wants to pave the way for the abolition of the requirement of a visa for Turkey if the country fulfill in the next few days as much as possible from the 72 necessary conditions, notes Der Spiegel. According to information of the German magazine, the European commissioners have agreed on this procedure.
It is noted that Turkey has implemented up to now on the 50 points required. A prerequisite for a positive recommendation of the Commission is, according to information of Spiegel from the environment of the european Commission, the number of open points is one digit. “The counting will be done on Wednesday”, said the publication, citing a statement update source.
As noted, it is clear that the Commission does not want to deprive a positive recommendation in favour of Turkey due to “technical barriers” such as, for example, the fact that the Anchor is not at this moment able to issue biometric passports. However, a key barrier to a positive contribution to the issue of a visa are considered to be the Turkish anti-terror laws. As noted by Spiegel, the Commission refers to “a blank cheque for the Turkish security authorities”.
A question of credibility for Europe
The fact is that the issue of the Turkish visa constitutes a ‘test of credibility for the Europeans”, underlines the correspondent of Spiegel. As he notes, “on one side the head of the european Commission Jean-Claude Juncker wants to do everything in order not to fail the agreement with Turkey for the refugee”.
Moreover, as noted, the abolition of the requirement of visas for Turks travelling to the Schengen zone is part of the agreement EU-Turkey. At the same time, the European Commission has invested in this agreement, “just as a lot of political capital with the German chancellor,” observes the author, collating, however, that “on the other hand you don’t have to look like to allow the Commission to be driven to and acting from Turkey”.
Judgmental attitude maintained by the Commission against the increasingly authoritarian behavior of the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He is called upon to “negotiate, not to threaten,’ stated in the Spiegel Johannes Hahn, commissioner responsible for the Enlargement of the EU. It is a fact that Turkey has threatened repeatedly that, if not repealed the obligation for the visa on behalf of the EU by June of next year, as agreed in the framework of the ευÏωτουÏκικής agreement for the management of the refugee crisis, then the Anchor will not hesitate to cancel the said agreement.
As the newspaper notes, in order to assess more effectively the progress of Turkey to the european Commission its recommendations on 4 May, takes place on a daily basis, a conference call between representatives of the Commission and qualified officials of the Turkish government. In any case, “the 100% fulfillment of criteria by the Turkey is not possible, this we know,” said the Spiegel a German official of the Commission with knowledge of the negotiations.
Source
Abolition of visa with discounts for Turkey?
—