12.05.2016 Tekirdağ
The 9th Local Schengen Group Business Community Visa Briefing Meeting organized by the TOBB and EU Delegation was held at the Tekirdağ Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Attending the meeting were TOBB Board Member Cengiz Günay, Belgian
İstanbul Consulate Visa Department Director Jean*Nicolas Dewaide representing
the Local Schengen Group, EU Ankara Delegation Local Schengen Cooperation and
Border Security Chief Jörg Dieter Köstinger, Italian İstanbul Consulate Vice
Consul Giulia Prati, German İstanbul Consulate Visas Director Alexander Dodt,
Hungarian İstanbul Consulate Consul Zsuzsanna Pálmai, Czech Republic İstanbul Consulate
Visas Director Nora Jurkovıcova and Financial Development Foundation Secretary
General Çiğdem Nas and TOBB EU Department Expert Senem Yavaş.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, TOBB Board Member Cengiz Günay
stated that the business community is facing serious difficulties in obtaining
visas for Schengen countries for business purposes. He expressed their pleasure
in the EU Commission’s recommendation for the lifting of Schengen visas for
Turkish citizens.
Pointing out that the recommendation must be accepted and ratified by
the European Council and Parliament, Günay said, “We anticipate that these two
institutions will fulfill their duties throughout this process. We have
completed many of the 72 criteria needed for the lifting of visas. There are
only 5 criteria needing to be fulfilled. To this end, we wholly support the
work of our government in fulfilling these criteria as well. An important
injustice will be righted once our trade relations improve with the lifting of
visas.
Like Turkey in general, Tekirdağ’s most important trade partners are EU
countries. The main balance of Turkey’s economic development is maintained by
the private sector. In order to make further progress, it is imperative that
trade relations with EU countries be improved. To this end, direct contact is
quite important for us. Facilitation of visas for Turkish businesspeople will
be mutually beneficial.”
Giving presentations on the subject were Local Schengen Cooperation and
Border Security Senior Expert Jörg Dieter Köstinger on behalf of the EU Delegation,
German İstanbul Consulate Visa Director Alexander Dodt and İKV Secretary
General Ass. Dr. Çiğden Nas.
Tekirdağ TSO members were informed in regards to the latest developments
on the subject regarding the lifting of visas.
Following the presentations, representatives of the business council
related the problems they’ve faced in regards to visas which were answered by
relevant consuls.