No: 7, 9 January 2016

The claims in the press that Turkey will reintroduce visa requirements for 89 countries as of 1 June are totally unfounded.

The negotiations with the EU to ensure Schengen visa exemption for our citizens are ongoing.

Full alignment of our visa policy with the EU vis-a-vis third countries is an obligation we must fulfil following Turkey's full membership to the EU.

Therefore, at this stage the news about Turkey's plans on the introduction of visa requirements as of 1 June vis-a-vis countries required to obtain EU visa do not reflect the reality.