European Parliament Calls on Member States to “Increase Capacity” for Turkish Visa Applicants

As Turkish citizens continue to face difficulties obtaining Schengen visas, the European Parliament (EP) has called on EU member states to increase their capacity in processing applications.

Although Turkey continues bilateral discussions with EU countries to resolve the visa issue, the effects of these efforts have yet to be seen in practice.

In its annual Turkey Report, prepared based on the European Commission’s yearly country report (formerly known as the Progress Report), the EP also addressed the visa problem.

The report notes with regret that Turkish citizens face problems in Schengen visa applications due to a “significant increase in demand” and concerns about potential abuse of the system.

According to Güven Özalp of BBC Turkish, the 27-page report will be discussed at the EP’s headquarters in Strasbourg on May 6, and put to a vote on May 7.

Drafted by EP Turkey Rapporteur Nacho Sanchez Amor, the report emphasizes the political will to improve access to visas.

It calls on both sides to make serious efforts to address the remaining technical and administrative barriers.

The EP’s specific message to EU countries reads:

“The EP calls on member states to increase the resources allocated to this issue.”