Steps taken to ensure a visa-free Europe

Once the EU Commission was assigned the task of initiating negotiations on visa exemption, Turkey expressed that they would take the Readmission Agreement into consideration. According to diplomatic sources, negotiations on visa exemption may be completed within four to six years' time, with the final decision to come from a majority of votes from EU nations.

WAITING ON THE ACTION PLAN

Turkey will be waiting on the visa exemption action plan, which the EU Commission will present within the next year, before signing the Readmission Agreement. It has also been stated that the visa exemption action plan the EU Commission is expected to present in the fall may take up to two and a half years to implement. During this period of time, Turkey will also have realized a number of reforms on topics such as border management and immigration policy. According to the 'Readmission Agreement', Turkish citizens that have illegally entered the EU will be deported immediately. Third-country citizens that enter the EU via Turkey will be deported after a three year transition period. Refugee camps will be built for the readmission of third country immigrants which enter the EU illegally through Turkey.