The European Commission prepared and sent EU member countries a new document providing for the simplification and acceleration of the process of obtaining Schengen visas for Turkish citizens. This was stated by the Minister of Trade of Turkey Omer Bolat.
In an interview with Anadol, Bolat reminded of the background of the visa regime Schengen and spoke about the difficulties that Turkish citizens in this area face in recent years.
According to him, Türkiye constantly raised these issues at all levels – both within the framework of bilateral meetings with member states and at the venues of the European Commission and the EU Council, including visits to Brussels.
Bolat noted that in recent years, the interaction of Ankara with the European Commission has been developing on a positive agenda.
“We have always declared to representatives of the EU and member states: visa liberalization is the right of citizens of the Turkish Republic arising from international agreements,” the minister stressed.
He added that while work is underway on the abolition of a visa barrier, Ankara also insists on facilitating the conditions for Turkish citizens traveling to the EU for the purpose of tourism, trade, transport or education.
“We ask you to reduce the waiting time, increase the number of personnel and the technical capacities of embassies and consulates, expand the premises and update computer systems. We are ready to cooperate on these issues,” Bolat said.
He recalled that, according to EU representatives, after China, Türkiye is the second country in the world by the number of Schengen visas issued – more than a million per year, and the average refusal indicator is about 15 %.
A new document on simplifying and accelerating the issuance of Schengen visas
The minister noted that Ankara has repeatedly raised the issue of simplifying the visa regime for students, scientists, businessmen, managers, engineers, technicians and carriers. The last serious negotiations were held on July 1 as part of a meeting on a high -level trading dialogue between Turkey and the EU in Ankara.
“In these negotiations, representatives of the European Commission informed us that they had prepared a new mechanism for accelerating and simplifying the issuance of visas, and that it would be published in the near future,” he said.
Bolat said that the European Commission, as of yesterday, really prepared a document and sent it to member states.
“According to the document, the Turkish citizens who previously received a visa regularly traveling and returning to their homeland without violations may be given the opportunity to receive multiple and long -term visas: first up to 6 months, then up to 1 year, then up to 2 years, later for 3 years,” Bolat added.
He emphasized that this is an important and positive development, especially from the point of view of trips for tourism, business, investment, education, academic cooperation and civil society.