Cyprus-Forum.com

[supporttheunderdog]

Came across this

Wednesday 4 May (*): Commission presents its third visa liberalisation progress report for Turkey http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_AGENDA-16-1509_en.htm
Date: 04/05/2016
European Commission - Upcoming events The news: The Commission will present its third visa liberalisation progress report for Turkey on 4 May (*). If Turkey takes the necessary measures to fulfil the remaining benchmarks, the report will be accompanied by a legislative proposal for transferring Turkey to the visa-free list.

My view is that Visa Free travel for Turks should be conditional upon recognition of the ROC and lifting of bans on ships with association with Cyprus (eg management) and planes from calling at Turkey or using Turkish Airspace.

[erolz66]

As I understand it the deal is to allow visa free travel for Turkish Citizens to Schengen member states / area. The RoC is in effect not part of this aspect of the wider 'deal' for as long as it remains outside of Schengen. Even if the deal happens the RoC will be free to still require Turkish Citizens to have visa to visit the RoC and almost certainly will continue to require this.

[B25]

As I understand it the deal is to allow visa free travel for Turkish Citizens to Schengen member states / area. The RoC is in effect not part of this aspect of the wider 'deal' for as long as it remains outside of Schengen. Even if the deal happens the RoC will be free to still require Turkish Citizens to have visa to visit the RoC and almost certainly will continue to require this.

Acutually I heard the Cyprus will join the Schengen Agreement by end June this year. Although I may be wrong. In any case, any country would be off its head to allow Turks visa free travel.

God help us if we become that stupid to join this BS agreement.

[Robin Hood]

As I understand it the deal is to allow visa free travel for Turkish Citizens to Schengen member states / area. The RoC is in effect not part of this aspect of the wider 'deal' for as long as it remains outside of Schengen. Even if the deal happens the RoC will be free to still require Turkish Citizens to have visa to visit the RoC and almost certainly will continue to require this.

The sooner the two sides pull down the barriers the sooner there will be a solution. The old animosities are the biggest barrier to any form of reunification. That is just my opinion ..... I don't normally comment of the Cyprus Problem but this does not sound like a contentious issue?

[erolz66]

Acutually I heard the Cyprus will join the Schengen Agreement by end June this year. Although I may be wrong.

My understanding, which may well be wrong, is the the RoC is obliged by its EU accession agreement to join Schengen at some point but there is no actual specific deadline by which it has to do so. I have not seen any reports that it was seeking to do so by June 16, but that does not mean they do not exist.

... but this does not sound like a contentious issue?

It is contentious in the sense that requiring Turkish citizens to have a visa to visit the RoC is the means by which the RoC can and does prevent 'settlers' in north Cyprus from crossing the green line from north to south and back again. Currently they require a visa to do so and they will not get such a visa if they are a 'settler'. If the visa free deal with EU Schengen re Turkish citizens countries goes through and the RoC also joins Schengen, then the RoC will no longer be able to prohibit 'settlers' from crossing the green line.

[B25]

then the RoC will no longer be able to prohibit 'settlers' from crossing the green line.

And this will be the beginning of the end of the RoC, hence we must be off our heads to agree to such a disaster agreement. We could argue that if Turkey does not recognise us and does not allow our registered ships and planes, then we should in the least reciprocate with refusing the Turks free access. Wouldn't you say??

[erolz66]

And this will be the beginning of the end of the RoC, hence we must be off our heads to agree to such a disaster agreement. We could argue that if Turkey does not recognise us and does not allow our registered ships and planes, then we should in the least reciprocate with refusing the Turks free access. Wouldn't you say??

In my view the RoC as it exits right now is in a difficult position re this EU - Turkey deal. Refusing to accept the wider deal (between EU and Turkey) in it's entirety, despite the repercussions such inevitably has on the other 499 odd million EU citizens, is not something it can afford politically imo. This is about politics, not 'justice' by the way. The RoC, even with 'veto rights' still only has so much 'political capital' it can 'spend' within the EU, given it size relative to the rest of the EU. My view is that it has enough such 'capital' to insist that Turkish accession can not take place without its consent and Turkey recognising the RoC and opening their ports to such. I do not think it has enough to insist that the EU can not allow visa free Travel to Turkish citizens with the Schengen area, which it is currently not itself a member of, unless Turkey first recognises the RoC in its current form as the sole legitimate government of all Cypriots and opens Turkish ports to the RoC. Which is why, I think, the RoC has stood 'firm' re Turkish accession and opening chapters but 'compromised' re visa free travel in Schengen area.

In short then, my view is the RoC could not afford (politically) to veto the entire EU - Turkey deal unless the Turkey first recognised the RoC and opened it ports. Thus it did not. It kept what political capital it does have to use on 'down the line' re full Turkish accession to the EU.

[Jerry]

As I understand it the ROC has always maintained the right to refuse admission to persons who enter Cyprus through illegal ports of entry but in practice allows EU passport holders from the illegally occupied north into the Government controlled south, hence carpetbaggers are allowed free movement but not illegal settlers. Presumably the same would apply to tourists from Turkey arriving in the north. Since there are no direct travel links between the Government controlled ROC and Turkey I don't see the problem.

[Sotos]

If Turkey takes the necessary measures to fulfil the remaining benchmarks

Benchmarks can be found here: http://www.esiweb.org/pdf/ESI%20-%20Tur ... 202016.pdf They include:

22. Allow visa-free access to Turkish territory for the citizens of all EU MS

69. Establish & implement internal procedures to identify and return Turkish
citizens, third-country nationals and stateless persons illegally residing in EU MS,
facilitate the transit of persons being returned elsewhere

So Cypriots will get visa free travel to Turkey but Turks will not get visa free travel to Turkey. On the contrary they should facilitate the return of Turks illegally residing in Cyprus back to Turkey, which essentially means all Settlers. Sounds good to me.

[Sotos]

As I understand it the ROC has always maintained the right to refuse admission to persons who enter Cyprus through illegal ports of entry but in practice allows EU passport holders from the illegally occupied north into the Government controlled south, hence carpetbaggers are allowed free movement but not illegal settlers. Presumably the same would apply to tourists from Turkey arriving in the north. Since there are no direct travel links between the Government controlled ROC and Turkey I don't see the problem.

How would we know which Turk is a Settler and which is just a tourist? Any Turk crossing the line should be arrested and deported as we would in any case have a right to do. Having a "visa free" status doesn't mean you have the right to enter a country in any way you want. You still need to enter through a legal port of entry. "Visa Free" status does not equal EU citizenship.