Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik evaluated the agenda on the Anadolu Agency Editor’s Desk

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Ömer Çelik was a guest speaker on the Anadolu Agency Editor’s Desk and responded to questions regarding the agenda.

Minister Ömer Çelik, emphasizing that Türkiye expressed its commitment to its objective of full membership in the European Union (EU) and that the EU expressed its commitment to the accession negotiations, underlined the importance of concrete steps in the new phase following the elections. Indicating that the EU had not fulfilled its commitments regarding voluntary settlement, visa liberalisation and opening of chapters to negotiations, Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik said: ”The EU does not have the superiority to instruct others on compliance with the agreement arrived at in the Summits. They have not complied with the commitments of the 18 March EU-Türkiye Statement.” Regarding the first and second 3 billion euro allocations of the total 6 billion euros allocated to Syrians, Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik said: “The meetings have been held on the second 3 billion euro allocation. The 1.94 billion euro allocation from the first 3 billion euro has been delivered to institutions. About 1.5 billion euro of this allocation is spent through the United Nations and the World Bank. The remaining amount has been transferred to the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Health and Ministry of National Education.”

 Regarding the reduction of visa liberalisation criteria from seven to six, Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik said: “This is about the biometric passport. We are able to meet all requirements. If this is considered as a technical matter, then Türkiye should be granted visa exemption tomorrow. If this is considered as a political matter, than there is a political issue that cannot be resolved.”

Minister Ömer Çelik also evaluated the presidential and 27th parliamentary elections to be held on 24 June 2018.  Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik, who said that the election day was a celebration of democracy and that the people made their decisions on the basis of very different dynamics, said: “The people are the agents, the people are the masters. The people are the superiors. They are the voters and the judges.”