07 October 2016•Update: 08 October 2016
By Meltem Bulur
ANKARA
Turkish EU Minister Omer Celik said Friday that while ridding the border area of Daesh, Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield has also been securing Europe’s and NATO’s borders as well.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni in Ankara, Celik said Turkey’s border has been cleared of Daesh through Turkish working with the Free Syrian Army.
"Not only have Turkey’s borders been cleared of Daesh for the first time, but Europe’s borders have also been cleared of Daesh for the first time, and the borders of NATO have been cleared of Daesh as well."
He added, "Every single step by Turkey, as a sovereign state, provides security to Europe, of which we are a part, and also provides the security of NATO, which we are a member of."
Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield, which was launched on Aug. 24, is aimed at bolstering border security, supporting coalition forces, and eliminating the threat posed by terrorist organizations, especially Daesh.
The operation is in line with the country’s right to self-defense borne out of international treaties and a mandate given to Turkey’s armed forces by its parliament in 2014, which was extended for another year in September 2015.
Changing the anti-terror law
On the stymied visa liberalization deal between Turkey and EU due to disagreement over changing anti-terror legislation, Celik said that Turkey has been fighting terrorist groups such as Daesh, the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), and the PKK/PYD for many years.
"If the big countries in Europe had faced such danger, it would never have occurred to anyone to change their anti-terror law," he added.
Italy's Gentiloni, for his part, stressed that they have not accused Turkey of human rights violations or tried to interfere with its domestic affairs. "The best way to handle these issues is to open Chapters 23 and 24 in Turkey’s EU negotiations."
These chapters deal with the topics of justice and human rights. Why don’t we open up these topics for discussion in the official areas, while these topics have already been on the agenda and have been negotiated?"
Gentiloni said that visa liberalization should be carried out for Turkish citizens as part of Turkey’s path to the EU. "The deal has been pursued in the joint interests of both sides, so giving up on these interests is out of the question."
Turkey and the EU signed a deal this March aiming to discourage irregular migration through the Aegean Sea by taking stricter measures against human traffickers and improving conditions for nearly 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey.
The deal also allows for the acceleration of Turkey’s EU membership bid and visa-free travel for Turkish nationals within the Schengen area, on the condition that Ankara meets 72 requirements set by the EU.
While Turkey has fulfilled most of the criteria, differences between Brussels and Ankara on anti-terror legislation have forestalled the visa liberalization deal.
*Reporting By Meltem Bulur; Writing By Emin Avundukluoglu
