"Turkey has to fulfil just six more conditions for visa liberalization, we intend to finish this process soon," the foreign minister said, confirming also Turkey's continued intention to join the European Union.
The situation around the EU membership of Ankara, long-awaited by the country, has recently reached a new low, as earlier in the week European Parliament's lawmakers adopted a non-binding resolution calling on the bloc to suspend admission negotiations with Turkey, whom Western countries have repeatedly accused of human rights violations. While 370 lawmakers supported the move, 109 voted against it, and 143 abstained.
The accusations concerning alleged human rights violations by Ankara have been repeatedly voiced by numerous EU leaders, as well as the US since the attempted military coup that took place in Turkey in 2016. The European Union condemned the Turkish authorities' tough measures after the coup, what has become another stumbling block in the accession talks.
The European Union launched the visa liberalization dialogue with Turkey in 2013. The bloc outlined 72 conditions for Ankara to meet in order to eliminate visa requirements for Turkish nationals wishing to enter the European Union. Recognizing Cyprus as an independent country and revising its anti-terrorism laws are conditions that are yet to be fulfilled by Turkey.
READ MORE: Only Ankara Can Bring an End to the EU Accession Talks — Turkish Academic
