ABSTRACT
Visa and readmission emerged as critical and sensitive issues in Turkey–European Union (EU) relations in the recent period. Turkey signed a Readmission Agreement with the EU on 16 December 2013 and concomitantly started a visa liberalization dialogue. The priorities of the parties – that is a readmission agreement on the part of the EU and visa liberalization on the part of Turkey – were finally reconciled and a new process started whereby both parties expected to achieve their aims. The EU tied visa liberalization to the signing of the Readmission Agreement, and finally the signing and ratification of the agreement opened up a new process whereby Turkey would need to implement the requirements of the agreement and visa roadmap in order to enjoy visa-free entry into the EU. The refugee deal and the visa liberalization process emerged as two critical and dynamic issues in Turkey–EU relations in the recent period.
