Turkey-European Union readmission agreement and visa liberation process

Readmission agreements, which have a significant function in combating irregular migration for countries, are regarded as an important instrument by source, transit and target countries in matters of enhancing cooperation and partnership with the countries that have signed the agreement, border management, developing migration legislation and increasing applicable experiences in particular. European countries have worried about the increasing number of the persons who have left their regions fundamentally struggling for instabilities through mass influx or human traffickers on an individual basis and arrived at Turkey via legal or illegal ways and aimed to eventually live in European countries. In addition to irregular migration, hundreds of thousands people had to leave Syria and seek asylum notably in Turkey and neighbouring countries and accordingly European countries due to internal conflicts that have started in 2011. Since 2013, illegal crossings to European countries have gradually increased through Turkey and particularly over Greece. This increase has negatively affected European countries' social welfare and public security. Prevention and controlling this mobility as well as eventually ceasing it have become important issues in the context of ending this humanitarian crisis. Under these circumstances, readmission agreement negotiated with Turkey became more important and was signed on 13 December 2013 and entered into force on 1 October 2014 in condition that financial support would be given to Turkey. Readmission agreements and visa liberation for Turkish citizens to travel to Europe have become the main agenda of Turkey and European Union relations in recent years. Readmission agreements are mainly interpreted as regulations based on technical legislation and have turned out to be a challenging process due to slow progress in Turkey-European Union relations. Since 2015, process has been ongoing slow due to political transformation and differences of opinions between Turkey and European Union. Extension of the planned time schedule for visa liberation and pushing the process into political platform have prevented the implementation of the readmission agreement for third country nationals and stateless persons. However, through Turkey-EU Statement of 18th March, a schedule has been determined in order to prevent mas influx heading for Europe. Readmission agreement between Turkey and Greece and the Statement of 18th March ensure managing migration flows to Europe through Turkey by means of political measures enabling the application of return procedures such as consideration of Turkey as a safe third country by European Union and through taking tangible measures such as strengthening security measures at the borders and enhancing cooperation. On the current platform, both the visa liberalisation process and the obligations of the sides continue. However, pushing visa liberalisation process to political platform within the context of the determined criteria has brought a new climate to the future of the relations where common interests indeed tend to differentiate. Keywords: Readmission Agreement, Return, Visa Liberalisation, Combating Irregular Migration, International Migration Law.