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Erdoğan: Turkey will not alter anti-terror laws for visa-free travel in EU Erdoğan dismisses EU demand to change terror laws for visa-free travel
(about 1 hour later)
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has said Turkey would not alter its anti-terrorism legislation for the sake of visa-free travel for its citizens to EU, telling European countries: “We’ll go our way, you go yours.” The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has said Ankara will not alter its anti-terrorism legislation for the sake of visa-free travel to the EU for its citizens, telling European countries: “We are going our way and you can go yours.”
Related: Turkey-EU refugees deal may be biggest casualty of Erdoğan supremacyRelated: Turkey-EU refugees deal may be biggest casualty of Erdoğan supremacy
Changes to Turkey’s domestic terrorism legislation to avoid conflicts with freedom of expression was one of five remaining conditions set by the European commission on Wednesday when it gave its provisional approval to visa-waivers for Turkish citizens. The changing of Turkey’s anti-terror legislation is a crucial condition laid down by the EU to ensure visa-free travel for citizens of Turkey to the Schengen region. Other conditions include upgrades of Turkish laws on the protection of personal data and corruption, all of which have to be finalised by the end of next month.
The promise of visa-free travel was a key part of the bargain EU leaders struck with Turkey to stop the flow of migrants and refugees to Greece - a deal which Erdoğan had appeared to show little interest in. But, in a combative speech in Istanbul on Friday, Erdoğan lashed out at the EU, saying: “[The EU] says: ‘You will change your anti-terror laws for visas’, while Turkey is under attack from all sides by terrorist organisations and those who support them.”
The Turkish president was speaking the day after the Turkish prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, who had negotiated the deal, announced he was stepping down because of a rift with the president. Referring to a recent demonstration in Brussels by Kurdish activists carrying flags of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK) before a visit by the prime minister Ahmet Davutoğlu in March, he added: “Why don’t you first change your mentality that allows terrorists to pitch tents next to the European parliament? So you let terrorists pitch tents, enable them, and then say that this is all in the name of democracy … Pardon me but we are going our way and you can go yours. Go make your agreement with whoever you can.”
Turkey must complete five more benchmarks by the end of next month to complete the EU’s list of 72 criteria - which include changes to anti-terror law as well as protection of personal data. Related: EU-Turkey refugee deal – Q&A
“Why aren’t you changing your mindset when you allowed terrorists who put up tents close to the EU Parliament?” Erdoğan said in a swipe at Brussels, in apparent reference to tents set up by Kurdish activists in March. In a move interpreted by critics and opposition politicians as a “palace coup”, Davutoğlu on Thursday announced his resignation from his posts as prime minister and leader of the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) because of insurmountable differences with Erdoğan.
“You will allow terrorists to set up tents, say you are doing it in the name of democracy, and then tell us to change our terrorism law for visas. We’ll go our way, you go yours. Go make your agreement with whoever you can.” Davutoğlu had been the main negotiator of the controversial Turkey-EU deal that aims to curb refugee arrivals in the European Union, and as part of which the EU on Wednesday offered visa-free travel for Turkish citizens. His exit is a blow to European leaders.
Erdoğan said on Friday he was also pressing for a rapid switch to a presidential system, turning the constitutionally ceremonial position of president into a stronger executive office. Critics fear that would concentrate too much power in his hands. Erdoğan is clearly less open to the negotiations, despite the EU and primarily Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, lobbying him hard. And, in the same speech on Friday, he also stressed his desire to see constitutional changes that would allow for a rapid implementation of a presidential system in Turkey, which critics say would concentrate too much power in one man’s hands.
Davutoğlu, who has been less than enthusiastic toward a presidential system, is widely expected to be replaced by someone who is more willing to push it forward. “We are at a point of no return,” he said. “I am confident that a new constitution and all other requirements will institutionalise [the presidential system].” He added that this was not his personal ambition, but “a necessity for the country”.
The EU has asked Ankara to implement several legislative reforms in order to finalise the visa deal, including a revision of Turkey’s highly controversial anti-terror laws that, according to human rights groups, impede freedom of expression and have frequently been used to indict journalists and other government critics.
The Turkish government insists that the draconian laws are a necessary tool in order to counter the threat of Kurdish and Islamic State terrorism both at home and abroad.
“It’s impossible to revise the legislation and practices on terrorism while our country continues its intense fight against several terrorist organisations,” Turkey’s EU minister, Volkan Bozkır, told a Turkish daily on Thursday.