EU Parliament Raises the Rhetoric Over Turkey's Visa-Waiver Bid
- Assembly members press Ankara to narrow terrorism legislation
- Row threatens to scupper March deal on curbing refugee influx
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The European Parliament added to the war of words with Turkey over its bid for visa-free travel to Europe, highlighting the risk that a hard-fought agreement with Ankara to curb the influx of Mideast refugees will collapse.
Members of the European Union assembly said Turkey must narrow the scope of its terrorism legislation to qualify for EU visa-free status. That is a prize the Turkish government sought in return for signing up to the mid-March migrant accord, which has stemmed Europe’s biggest refugee wave since World War II and eased domestic political pressure on leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel.