Turkey initiates new steps for EU visa liberalization

Turkey has taken a new step toward achieving visa liberalization with the European Union. Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz announced that relevant ministries are working to meet six remaining criteria, and the newly developed approach will be discussed with European institutions through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Yılmaz emphasized that personal data protection is one of the most critical items. He noted that coordination is underway between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice, and Interior.

The six outstanding criteria for visa liberalization include: - Signing an operational cooperation agreement with Europol. - Implementing recommendations from the Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). - Aligning personal data protection laws with European standards. - Cooperating with all EU members on crime-related issues. - Full implementation of the Readmission Agreement regarding irregular migration through Turkey.