ECJ drops visa requirement for Turks
A top European court yesterday cleared the way for Turkish business people providing services in European Union member states to enter the EU without having to obtain visas first, a decision that experts say is a step toward removing many other restrictions EU countries currently impose on Turkish nationals.Murat Saraylı, chairman of the Young Businessmen's Association of Turkey (TÜGİAD) and president of Young Entrepreneurs for Europe (YES), said the ruling meant that the ECJ agreed that the restrictions imposed on Turkish entrepreneurs by EU countries up until now have been unfair and infringe upon the rights given by the Additional Protocol to the Association Agreement. "There is no need to negotiate with the EU for easing up the visa application process," he said, "Because it is our natural right to enter EU territory to provide services ."
The implications of the verdict are not known yet, but some say it will mean a free pass for up to 50 million Turks to enter EU countries. "This decision paves the way for 48 million Turkish people who provide services; our employers, academics, journalists and everyone working in the services sector, ranging from barbers to belly dancers," said Professor Harun Gümrükçü of Akdeniz University at a press conference.
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