Turkey must uphold its side of a deal made with the European Union over stemming the flow of migrants, a top EU official said Thursday, warning “threats” against the bloc will not work.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Ankara must ease strict anti-terror laws if it wants its citizens to enjoy visa-free travel on the continent.
Juncker was speaking after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday warned the European Union his parliament would block laws related to the landmark deal if it didn’t get its way on visa liberalization.
“We do expect that Turkey will stick to its commitments — and threats are not the best diplomatic instrument you can use,” Juncker told reporters in Ise-Shima, where he is attending the G7 summit.
“So one should stop to use them, because they will produce no effect whatsoever.”
Juncker’s outburst came after Erdogan dug his heels in over growing indications that a deal to grant Turks the right to travel freely in Europe looked to be faltering.