BRUSSELS
Polish Institute for International Affairs (PISM) said the European Union (EU) might have to lift visa requirement for all Turkish citizens due to the result of the "Demirkan case" the European Court of Justice (ECJ) would adjudicate in 6 months.
Warsaw based think-tank said if the ECJ would decide Germany unrighteous in the case it would have consequential results, in its report called "Lifting Visas for Turkey: A Safer EU and Stronger EU Foreign Policy".
The report claimed if the ECJ would decide positively, not only the service providers, but also those who receive services will have the right to visa-free travel. In that case, the member states would have to abolish their visa requirements for all Turkish citizens and may possibly not even benefit from a readmission agreement with Turkey.
Citizens of Turkey, except service providers, are still subject to EU visa requirements while all other candidate and potential candidate countries and even some non-candidate countries enjoy visa-free travel to the EU. As the main transit country for illegal migrants to the Union, Turkey's cooperation is vital for securing the EU's external borders. In addition, given the number of court decisions that have declared the visa requirements for Turkish citizens illegal, visa liberalization will contribute to the EU's image as a rule-of-law promoter.
ECJ ordered in 2009 that Turkish citizens residing and exercising their activities in Turkey and wishing to enter the territory of a member state in order to provide services there, would be exempted from visa.
Based on that resolution, EU Commission announced visa lift to Turkish citizens providing service to Germany, Netherlands and Denmark and asked the information in the booklets handed out to border officials in those countries to be changed accordingly on Monday.
Commission detailed the guidelines on the movement of Turkish nationals crossing the external borders of EU member states in order to provide services within the EU. According to that, the visa exemption of the Turkish citizens applies to only Germany, Netherlands and Denmark among the 26 Schengen countries.
However Turkish citizens should get visa for transit passages via those countries.
Turkish citizens providing service can stay for 2 months in Germany, and 3 months in Netherlands and Denmark without visa.
Turkish architects, builders, lawyers, computer scientists, commercial agents, scientists and lecturers, artists, fitters and instructors installing or repairing machinery or informing of the use thereof, professional athletes and trainers, truck drivers etc. established in Turkey are considered as providing services. They must prove their status with written statements at the borders.
