The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu asserts that improvements regarding Turkey’s visa liberalization with the European Union could be achieved if the latter genuinely commit to the issue.

The Minister made such comments in a joint press conference with the Slovak homolog Ivan Korcok, held on March 16, 2021.

“We expect sincere cooperation from the EU, especially when it comes to the fight against terrorism. Our recent reforms will contribute to a new era in Turkey-EU ties,” Çavuşoğlu said in the conference.

The EU visa liberalization policy enables third-country citizens who have a biometric passport to be able to enter the Schengen area for three months, within 180 days, without a visa.

Turkey’s attempt to reach an agreement on visa-free travel to the Schengen Area for its citizens started in the first summit between Turkey and the EU, which took place on November 29, 2015. In this event, a memorandum was issued, stating that:

• the negotiations regarding the membership would be revived
• anti-terrorism cooperation would be strengthened
• summits would be carried out on a regular basis
• close collaboration will continue through senior mechanism at economic, energy, and political levels
• the EU will provide financial support for Syrian refugees in Turkey
• the customs union deal will be updated

Furthermore, at a summit held on March 18, 2016, which represented the third meeting between Turkey and the EU, the visa issue was brought up again, StudyinPoland.Info reports.

Nevertheless, for the process to begin on the planned date, the European Commission had to submit the third and the last report regarding the visa progress and make an offer to the EU Council and European Parliament in May 2016 at the latest.

During the meeting in Brussels on December 10, 2020, the EU leaders decided to impose more sanctions on Turkey due to Eastern Mediterranean tensions. Although Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration, and France have drawn a tough line on Turkey, the other EU states, such as Germany, have been keeping a more diplomatic approach. Consequently, the bloc decided to postpone the sanctions.

Last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey is prepared to establish a positive long-term plan with the EU. He added that Turkey’s main priority is its future in Europe, hoping to start fresh with the bloc.

Except for Brussels and Ankara’s bilateral relationship, the four expected dominating topics include the update of the migrant deal with the EU, visa-free travel for Turkish citizens, the update of the customs union with the EU, and the proposal of Turkey for an Eastern Mediterranean conference.

Earlier in December 2020, the European Union signed the last contract, under the €6 billion budget of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey, in order to help refugees cover their basic needs.