Visa Waiver Program May Unravel EU-Turkey Deal

European Union (EU) leaders are now having doubts about the EU-Turkey deal’s visa waiver program, which will allow Turkish citizens to travel throughout Europe without a passport. The Telegraph reported that foreign terrorists and transnational gangs are believed ready to enter Europe once visa waiver program is finalized. The program has been met with criticism, but European states desperate to halt the flow of refugees gave in to Turkey’s demands as part of the EU-Turkey deal.

The EU-Turkey deal, which went into effect this March, was designed to stop the illegal flow of refugees from Turkey to Greece. The deal stated that refugees in Greece would be sent back to Turkey, and in return Turkey would receive visa waivers to travel Europe, potential EU membership, and 3 Billion Euro in aid from the EU. However, the EU-Turkey deal has not been as successful as initially hoped as reports indicate since March 20, 2016, 8,500 refugees have landed in Greece and only 400 sent back to Turkey.

Turkey needs to comply with 5 more EU regulations for the visa waiver program to go into affect by the end of June. The visa waiver program could allow 75 million Turkish citizens to travel throughout Europe for a 30-day period. The biggest areas that Turkey needs to address are key reformations to its anti-terrorism laws. Turkey’s anti-terror laws have largely been used to target academics, Kurdish sympathizers, and journalists opposed to President Erdogan regime. However, Erdogan has insisted the law is needed to fight the Kurds domestically and the Islamic State (IS) abroad.

Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of MI-6, noted that by allowing Turks to travel visa-free throughout Europe is like “leaving gasoline next to the camp fire.”  Dearlove pointed out as well that despite Turkey’ attempts at policing its borders which are very porous, IS jihadists been able to cross over from Syria to Turkey.

The European Commission has acknowledged that they have seen an increase in mobility throughout the Schengen Zone by criminals or terrorists of Turkish nationality or foreigners claiming to be from Turkey. Officials note that Turkey’s organized crime syndicates support narcotics trafficking, sex trade, firearms trafficking, and migrant smuggling. These operations may expand further into Europe if the visa waiver program is approved.

Critics of the visa waiver program fear that foreign nationals with terrorist or criminal backgrounds will claim Turkish citizenship. They will apply for the program or commit identify theft to obtain documentation allowing them to enter Europe.

The biggest hurdle for the EU may be getting past Turkey’s President Erdogan and his administration. The EU-Turkey deal has been in peril since May 5, when Erdogan removed Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu from power. Davutoglu brokered the Turkey-EU deal in Brussels and set the June deadline. Erdogan is also holding the EU hostage saying he will terminate the EU-Turkey deal, and allow refugees through if the EU backtracks on any of the deal.

Burhan Kuzu, an advisor to Erdogan, posted a message in Twitter in regards to the EU situation stating, “if they (EU) make the wrong decision, we send refugees through.” Turkey’s EU Affair’s Minister Volkan Bazkir stated to the media that Turkey’s anti-terror laws already meet the requirements set by the EU.

On Thursday, May 19, 2016, Reuters U.K. reported that the June deadline for the Turkey to comply for the visa waiver program is no longer feasible. The European parliament announced it would not work on the visa waiver program until Turkey revised its anti-terror laws.

The EU backed itself into a corner by making this deal with Turkey and now the potential ramifications of this deal are just starting to sink in, and the reality is the EU is now in a lose-lose situation.