Vice President Yılmaz: Three Ministries Working Together to Resolve 6 Key Criteria

Quick summary

Turkey has launched joint technical work among three ministries to accelerate resolution of the remaining 6 criteria for EU visa exemption, prioritizing revision of data protection legislation. Turkish citizens without Schengen visas currently face a cost of 90 euros and a six-week processing period per trip.

Why it matters

A visa exemption decision would directly affect the travel costs and timeframes for millions of Turkish citizens to Europe, while also enabling increased mobility in business, education, and tourism. This development could eliminate the current 90-euro cost and months-long waiting period per journey, though it remains contingent on resolving outstanding technical obstacles.

Key takeaways

• ›Turkey has met 66 of the 72 criteria established in 2016, reaching 92 percent of visa exemption; the remaining 6 criteria have been on hold for years.
• ›Revision of counter-terrorism legislation and data protection alignment are among the unresolved issues.
• ›The newly prepared approach will be communicated to EU institutions through the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
• ›A Turkish citizen boarding a flight from Istanbul to Frankfurt without a Schengen visa currently pays an average of 90 euros and faces a six-week processing period.