New migrant rules, easier Turkish visas for EU reportedly imminent

An agreement between Turkey and the European Union to stanch illegal migration to Europe while facilitating visas for some Turkish citizens to Schengen countries is nearing completion, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry official. The EU Commission has dispatched a technical delegation to Ankara to finalize the deal's final draft, the official said on Thursday, adding that there are still a few matters requiring clarification. "This agreement will open the way to starting a serious visa dialogue with Turkey," Cecilia Malmstrom, EU commissioner for home affairs, wrote Tuesday on her personal blog. On the difficult and specific criteria which must be met to achieve visa facilitation, she said: "Other countries could succeed in it. I don't see any reason for Turkey to fail to achieve it." The visa deal would facilitate visa procedures for students, businesspeople, athletes and artists, she said, adding, "It would be expanded to all citizens in further stages."