"For a visa-free Europe" by Bagis issued on weekly new Europe newspaper

Turkey's Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis wrote an article titled "For a Visa-Free Europe" issued by the weekly New Europe newspaper. In the article, Bagis says, "Facts and figures of today indicate that the visa against Turkish citizens is not legal, fair and rational. It is not legal since Turkey has legal rights derived from the Ankara Agreement signed back in 1963. In simplest terms, the ‘standstill provision' laid down in the Additional Protocol of the Ankara Agreement requires member states to refrain from introducing any new restrictions and thus, prohibits the visa requirement for Turkish citizens for a number of EU member states. Since, 11 of today‘s member states had not had a visa requirement for Turkish nationals at the time when the Protocol entered into force back in 1973, they shall not require visa from Turkish citizens," adding that Turkey is the only candidate country whose citizens are still subject to visas. Underlining that the products of Turkish businessmen can freely flow in the Union but the owner of those products cannot freely travel, Bagis writes, "I hope common sense would prevail and this outdated and problematic visa issue would be resolved in the near future. Visa free travel would only contribute to a more prosperous, more dynamic and richer Europe."