FRICTION

Turkey’s Erdogan Warns EU of ‘Plan B’ on Visa-Free Travel

If Turkey doesn’t get visa-free travel.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday warned of an ominous “Plan B” and “Plan C” if the European Union fails to live up to its promises on visa-free travel. Speaking at a press conference in Ankara, Erdogan lamented that “the EU has given us nothing so far” in terms of visa-free travel. Turkey and the EU reached an agreement in March in which Turkey would take in Syrian migrants in exchange for $3.1 billion in funds and visa-free travel for Turks. Yet Erdogan has repeatedly slammed the EU for not holding up its end of the bargain. “If we do not get the expected outcome regarding the visa issue... if promises are not fulfilled, Turkey will no doubt have a plan B and it will have a plan C,” he said. The EU deal was meant to pave the way for visa-free travel by October, but relations between Turkey and the EU took a turn for the worse after a failed coup attempt over the summer. Erdogan has accused EU members of failing to show solidarity with Ankara after the incident, while the EU has criticized the Turkish government for its crackdown on scholars and civil servants.