One of Germany's leading newspapers, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, has published a story concerning Turkey's green passport scheme. According to the allegations in the report, Ankara is determining visa-free entry to Europe through special passports, a situation that seemingly plays into Brussels' hands.
The news report highlighted that Turkey, through the use of green passports, has exempted a broad segment of its population from visa requirements. This privilege is extended to civil servants, academics, lawyers, and many others, along with their families.
According to claims made by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper, the European Union is demanding greater transparency from Turkey regarding the number and scope of green passports. While it is stated that the EU is avoiding escalating this issue into a severe crisis, the situation is interpreted by diplomatic circles as being deliberately left ambiguous.
The news shared the figures for green passports in 2019. It was articulated that the number of green passports, which was 1.7 million in 2019, has been progressively increasing.
It was pointed out that EU countries have the authority to not recognize these passports, yet none have dared to make such a decision. The newspaper, interpreting the current situation as a balance between Turkey and Europe, noted that the European side has chosen to steer clear of politically risky visa liberalization discussions in exchange for limited visa-free travel.