MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Earlier in the day, the European Commission put forward a proposal that opens the way for Turkish passport holders to be granted visa-free travel to the EU Schengen Area once certain criteria have been met by Ankara. Turkey has so far met 72 out of the 77 conditions outlined in the visa liberalization roadmap. A decision by the Commission on the matter may come as early as June.
“I think to facilitate visas is OK, but we must stay in control. When we see a relation between al-Nusra [Front] and Turkey, we need to keep in mind that having a Turkish passport does not mean being safe for Europe,” Thierry Mariani told Sputnik.
He stressed that Europe finds itself “in Turkish hands for blackmail.”
