EU: Erdoğan Should Consider Carefully Before Abolishing Readmission Agreement

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 Evaluating the possibility of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan abolishing the agreement with the European Union on refugees, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has noted “President Erdoğan should think twice”.

"If Turkey takes that step, then the president will have to explain to young Turks, businessmen, journalists and other citizens why they are having trouble getting out of their country. Erdogan is the reason why the Turks do not have the opportunity to travel throughout Europe", Juncker has noted.

CLICK - EU COMMISSION: READMISSION AGREEMENT IS PREREQUISITE FOR VISA WAIVER

On May 24 at the World Humanitarian Summit, President Erdoğan had pointed that such criteria could not be forced on Turkey and that the Readmission Agreement would not pass in the Parliament if no agreement was reached on the visa waiver issue.

Readmission Agreement

The Readmission Agreement signed between the EU and Turkey regulates sending the refugees who have arrived on the Greek islands back to Turkey and accepting one Syrian refugee to Europe for each refugee sent back to Turkey from Greece islands.

Visa free travel debate

Within the agreement, European Parliament has announced that in case Turkey could meet the 72 criteria, the issue of visa free travel would be brought to agenda.  

Turkey referring to this, has declared that it would not allow any amendments in the Anti-Terror Act. The EU hereupon has refused to discuss visa free travel before Turkey met all of the criteria. (YY/DG)