European Stability Initiative calls for visa-free travel for Turks

European Stability Initiative report, "Cutting the visa knot: How Turks could freely travel in Europe", remarked that Turkish travellers should enjoy visa-free travel by the end of 2015. In the report, ESI indicated that "Turkey could state that it expects the Commission to issue a positive assessment before summer 2015. Once this happens it expects the European Parliament and the Council to vote on lifting the visa requirement for Turkish citizens within no more than six months. By the end of 2015, at the latest, Turkish travellers should enjoy visa-free travel". For the benefits of deadline, the report asserted a claim for Turkey that "such a deadline would also provide a powerful political argument to justify proceeding with the signature and ratification of the readmission agreement". Indicating that "there has never before been an EU candidate country that had been negotiating accession for years and whose citizens were unable to travel without a visa," report states that "As Turkey and the EU move towards the fiftieth anniversary of their strategic relationship, which started with the 1963 Association Agreement, the time to overcome this particular legacy of the 1980 coup is now. It is time to cut this Gordian visa knot".   
 
In order to deal with the Syrian refugee crisis and the fight against irregular migration, report shows that "Turkey should expect measurable results from the EU and its member states during the visa dialogue by increasing financial support.     
 
Regarding what Turkey could do for EU before 2015, the report states that "If there is a lot that that the EU can and should do to build trust on the Turkish side, there are also two vital areas where Turkey can help build trust inside the EU. One is reducing irregular migration to the EU via Turkey's land and maritime borders. The other is readmission of irregular third-country migrants who reach the EU through Turkey".