Turkey says it has met criteria for visa free travel to EU
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A senior official in Turkey says the country has fulfilled all 72 requirements set by the European Union to secure visa-free travel for Turkish citizens to the bloc.
Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Wednesday that Turkey had submitted all related documents to EU officials ahead of an EU-Turkey summit in March.
Kalin said he hoped the right to visa free travel would be implemented in 2018, adding that it would give "a new momentum to Turkish-EU relations."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Visa liberation was a key part of a 2016 EU-Turkey deal aimed at stemming the flow of migrants to Europe, but Turkey had failed to meet the 72 criteria, including amending antiterror laws.
Kalin said all outstanding criteria had been met, without providing details.