From al-Monitor:
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s
warnings that Turkey’s refugee deal with the European Union will
collapse if it fails to waive visa restrictions for Turks have become
more frequent, almost routine in recent days, signaling a looming
and serious crisis in Turkish-EU ties.
The emergency rule Erdogan declared
after surviving the failed July 15 coup has meant the suspension of a
series of basic rights and freedoms in Turkey, making the planned visa
waiver even more difficult and hastening the course toward collision.
The row was aggravated by a psychological factor as Erdogan feels anger
and mistrust toward EU leaders who, according to him, failed to extend
him adequate support after the putsch.
Since the beginning of August,
Erdogan has grown markedly tougher on the issue, warning every five days
on average that Turkey will stop readmitting refugees if the EU fails
to introduce visa-free travel for Turks, with the Turkish press calling
his warnings a “showdown.”
In his most recent challenge Aug. 12,
Erdogan told Germany’s RTL television, “The visa liberalization and
readmission are very important. The process is currently ongoing.
Unfortunately, Europe has
failed to keep its promise on
the issue. We want to take steps simultaneously. If [the visa waiver]
happens, fine. If not, I’m sorry but we’ll stop the readmissions.” He
had made similar remarks on Aug. 2 and Aug. 8 as well.
Erdogan’s warnings are based on
the March 18 deal between Turkey and the EU, under which Ankara pledged
to take back all refugees who cross illegally from Turkey to Greece
after March 20. Visa-free travel for Turkish nationals was part of the
agreement — hence the reciprocity link Erdogan draws between the two.
The introduction of the visa waiver was slated for June, but that target
was missed, and all signs now indicate it is not forthcoming anytime
this year.
Originally, the EU had planned to
lift visa requirements for Turks in October 2016 if everything went
smoothly under a visa liberalization agreement the two sides signed Dec.
16, 2013, more than two years before the refugee deal. The plan was
brought forward to June and incorporated into the refugee deal as a
result of personal efforts by Turkey’s then-Prime Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu. The EU agreed because the new timing changed nothing about the 72 criteria Turkey was supposed to fulfill for the visa waiver, something that Ankara was perfectly aware of.
So far, Turkey has met 67 of the said criteria. Erdogan is reluctant to fulfill the remaining five, but wants the visa waiver to go ahead all the same — a demand that lies at the core of the dispute....MORE
