Bagis: "The EU should lift its unfair visa requirements"

Europe should put an end to its unfair visa requirements on Turkish citizens, State Minister and Chief Negotiator for European Union Talks Egemen Bagis said yesterday. Bagis made the comments on a visit to Germany, during a Turkish-German Friendship Association ceremony honoring former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Speaking at the ceremony, Bagis said that citizens of countries that haven't begun even their EU accession negotiations can easily get into Europe while citizens of Turkey, which has been determinedly pursuing its accession for years, suffer under the unfair visa requirements. Bagis also said that several years ago, when Turkey's negotiations nearly came to a dead end, Schroeder and then British Prime Minister Tony Blair were the only politicians that continued to support its membership bid.