Türkiye is seeking easier access to the Schengen area despite improvements under the European Union's phased visa system, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said on Tuesday.
Bolat’s remarks came following talks with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, who arrived in Ankara as part of a top delegation that also included EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner.
The delegation was received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and was also scheduled to hold talks with other top officials, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.
The recurring issue of Europe's long-promised visa liberalization scheme was highly expected to hover over the talks as frustration grows in Türkiye over Schengen visa delays and rising rejections.
Last year, Turkish nationals submitted 1.25 million visa applications for the Schengen zone, up from 906,000 in 2019, European Commission figures show. Of that number, 1.07 million were approved.
