“Small wonder that Turkey viewed this criticism as ill-placed and got very upset about the EU’s behavior. They want us to meet all the criteria and additional requirements concerning the agreement on the readmission of illegal migrants, while dragging their feet on the implementation of their own commitments and erecting ever new hurdles. The impression is that Brussels is making every effort to keep the visa regime for Turks in place,” he complained.
Oya Akgonenc Mugisuddin added that despite everything, Turkey keeps negotiating with the EU even though it is not gloing to meet Brussels’ “absurd demands,” and hoped that the EU would give up on its shortsighted policy towards Ankara.
“Now that the European Union is fast losing its attractiveness, Ankara will be more insistent and less accommodating during the talks. The masks are all gone now so I don’t think we are going to be granted a visa-free status this year as Brussels is sure to find any additional nits to pick. They just want to keep us out,” Oya Akgonenc Mugisuddin said in conclusion.
In July, EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger ruled out granting Turkish citizens visa-free travel to the EU in 2016, citing the failed coup in Turkey on July 15 and the nationwide crackdown that followed as reasons for the move to be stalled.
