Turks pay 500 mln euros for European visas in 28 years
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Turkish nationals have paid around 500 million euros for visas from European countries since the visa practice was introduced in 1980, an NGO said.
"Turkish people pay 150,000 YTL for visas a day. This amount exceeds 12 million euros a year. We have paid 500 million euros since 1980," said Harun Gumrukcu, chairman of the No Visa For Europe Research Group.
The group is established as a civilian movement to fight against the strict visa practices imposed by European countries on Turkish nationals.
Although Turkey is a candidate country for European Union membership, the block refuses to ease visa conditions for Turks as it did for other candidate or candidate-hopeful countries. More than a dozen personal documents are demanded from Turkish applicants.
Experts say according to the Ankara Agreement signed between Turkey and the European Community during the 1960s, at least for some professionals, such as export-related businessmen, journalists, industrialists, and doctors, the visa procedure must be simplified.
A business group has suggested the issue of the reluctance of EU countries to take steps to ease the visa procedure be taken to the European Court of Justice.
"We have to take the issue to the court. That money (paid for visas) should even be accumulated in a fund, because on the day when those rights are gained this money should be repaid," said Murat Sarayli, the chairman of Young Businessmen Association of Turkey (TUGIAD).