The Deputy Foreign Minister of Türkiye, Mehmet Kemal Bozay, has said that the country’s representatives have been having talks with their EU counterparts on visa facilitation.
As Bozay revealed, the authorities of both parties have discussed ways of how the current rules can be eased, with Türkiye pushing for a facilitated Schengen visa application process for students, businesspeople, artists, academics, and media professionals.
In addition, Turkish authorities are requiring the visa applications of the groups of people above to be processed faster, allowing them to obtain the document without having to wait for a long period of time.
While the EU has not made any official statement on the matter yet, Bozay said that the country expects good news soon.
The same said that they have witnessed a positive trend in some parts of the country. According to him, the appointment time has been reduced from four weeks to two weeks.
Türkiye and the EU have just recently made a significant step in improving their relations. Due to this, Türkiye expects improvements not only related to visa processes but also in other areas of cooperation.
The Commission of the EU just recently suggested taking more steps toward engaging in visa facilitation with Türkiye.
In a comprehensive report, the Commission said that visa facilitation is one of the main aspects of enhancing people-to-people contact between the bloc and Türkiye.
Highlighting the importance of maintaining good relations with Türkiye, Olivér Várhelyi, who serves as the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, said that there is an immediate need to support proposed action in relation to visa facilitation.
He further said that they are advocating for facilitated access to visa applications for all Turkish nationals, specifically students and businesspeople.
In addition, Várhelyi said that multiple entry visas that are valid for a longer period of time should be granted to citizens of Türkiye.
As a matter of priority – we are proposing also to explore the Member States to facilitate access to visa applications and to facilitate people-to-people contact, in particular for business people and students.
Türkiye has been a candidate for EU membership for 24 years now. However, since the country has yet to meet some requirements, accession talks have been stopped.
The country is consistently calling for facilitated Schengen visa rules for its citizens. Complaining about the current rules, the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan previously demanded that the EU take measures. He said that the rejection rates continue to remain high and stressed that the country wants a fast solution to the ongoing visa-related problems.
