Turkey, EU to start negotiations for visa liberalization

Turkey and the European Union agreed yesterday to start negotiations that would eventually secure Turkish citizens’ visa-free travel to EU countries. The move follows EU members' authorization of the European Commission to launch talks and Turkey's acceptance to initial a readmission agreement which is considered critical for EU to fight illegal immigration through the border with Greece. Selim Yenel, ambassador and permanent delegate of Turkey to the EU, yesterday initialed the readmission agreement in Brussels. Turkey will wait for an EU action plan on visa liberalization to be submitted by the Commission a year before penning the readmission agreement which would regulate procedures and share the burden of illegal migrants who reach Europe via Turkey. The Commission is expected to present a visa liberalization action plan in autumn and the implementation of the action plan is likely to last a couple of years. Diplomatic sources say actual visa-free travel for Turks visiting the EU could be possible within 4-6 years and it would require a majority of votes in the EU.