The European Parliament has suspended work on the agreement on the abolition of visas for Turkish citizens. That the leadership of the factions of the European Parliament 4 may made such a secret decision, on Tuesday evening, reported the EUObserver informportal.
Visa-free regime for Turkey is part of the informal transactions concluded between Brussels and Ankara, which the Turkish authorities agree to readmisia refugees from the Middle East to Europe in exchange for the provision of the Brussels financial aid and opening borders to Turkish citizens. From the European Parliament depends on whether the agreed part of the bargain on the abolition of visas — the constitutional process of the EU requires that such decisions were made at the same time the legislative and Executive branches of the Union. The European Council endorsed the introduction of a visa-free regime for Turkey on 4 may.
According to EUOBserver, the decision to suspend the approval of a transaction were not notified even heads of committees, they learned about it just this Monday. “They [faction leaders] decided to stop the process”, — has confirmed the publication of the German MEP Birgit Sippel. On Wednesday in the European Parliament had scheduled a debate on granting Turkey a visa-free regime.
Faction in the European Parliament “will not start the legislative process, as long as Turkey does not fulfill all requirements,” quotes “RIA Novosti” Armin Machmer, the official representative of the speaker of the European Parliament Martin Schulz.
In terms of the EU included the implementation of Turkey’s 72 commitments, including the establishment of operational relations with Interpol, the enforcement of data protection regulation in compliance with the standards of the European Union, as well as the revision of anti — terrorism laws in Brussels he is considered too repressive. Evaluation of the European Commission, Ankara has already done 67 of them. In early may, the European Commission has proposed to complete the process of granting Turkey a visa-free regime until the end of June. To comply with a deadline is unlikely to be possible, told EUObserver Sippel.
According to the border service of the EU Frontex, the efforts of Ankara to limit the flow of refugees began to bear fruit in March in the EU were registered a little more than 26 thousand of migrants from the region, which is twice less than the February figures.
Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, promised that, if before this time the deal is finalized, he will cease to return to the occupied area of middle Eastern refugees who managed to reach the Greek Islands. Member of the Turkish Parliament from the ruling party and adviser to Erdogan Burhan Kuzu in the night of Wednesday explicitly threatened on Twitter the Europeans with retaliation in case of refusal of granting visa-free status. “Tomorrow the European Parliament will gather to discuss visa-free regime for Turks. We will send [them] more refugees, if they make the wrong decision,” he wrote. The high-level meeting between Turkey and the EU on visa-free regime, scheduled for 13 may, was cancelled the day before.
