Visa Exemption Talks Begin Between Turkey and the European Union
Within the scope of efforts to align the Law on the Protection of Personal Data with European standards, technical delegations from Turkey and the EU are coming together for visa exemption.
It has been reported that discussions at the level of technical delegations will be initiated between Turkey and the European Union as part of the visa exemption process, with the aim of making the Law on the Protection of Personal Data compliant with European standards.
Harmonization of Criteria
For years, the European Union has demanded that the Law on the Protection of Personal Data comply with European standards and be implemented without restricting freedom of expression.
Brussels emphasizes that the current legislation is not fully compliant with the EU acquis in the field of data protection and that there are accountability deficiencies in law enforcement cases.
Other Related Criteria
The criterion regarding personal data also directly affects other conditions required for visa exemption.
The operational cooperation agreement with the European Police Office and counter-terrorism legislation, which are among the six criteria that Turkey has not yet met, are directly linked to this situation.
Reflections in Brussels
While it is known that the European Union has been in a wait-and-see position regarding visa exemption for a long time, Turkey's initiation of steps on this issue was met with cautious optimism in Brussels.
During the technical talks, the steps Turkey has taken and plans to take in order to meet this criterion will be put on the table.
Visa Liberalization Dialogue
Within the scope of the Visa Liberalization Dialogue launched on December 16, 2013, Turkey had fulfilled 65 out of a total of 72 criteria in the first three years, and one more criterion in 2018.
Despite the 13 years that have passed, six fundamental criteria remain unfulfilled.
Remaining Six Criteria
Among the unfulfilled criteria are making amendments to the counter-terrorism law and signing an operational cooperation agreement with the European Police Office.
Additionally, the implementation of GRECO recommendations, judicial cooperation with all union members, the full implementation of the Readmission Agreement, and legal regulations regarding personal data are awaiting completion.