Saturday, 22 August 2009On 19th of August, two of five Turkish citizens who were granted a one-year residence permit by British Consulate-General in Istanbul in order to establish business in Britain, entered the UK without being subject to visa requirement. This development constitutes one of the cornerstones of Turkish nationals’ long-lasting legal struggle for visa exemption.
British authorities’ approval of applications is based on ECJ’s previous rulings, Tum and Dari and Soysal decisions. As will be remembered, in February, the Court had ruled that the Additional Protocol signed in 1971 and entered into force in 1973, consists of a “standstill clause” which prohibits any kind of new restrictions between EC and Turkey on the freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services.
Attorney Hakan Camuz, who welcomed his clients at the Heatrow Airport, said that it was a historical day for Turkish citizens. Camuz continued, “Ugur Akdogan and Bülent Selçuk arrived here with a one-year residence permit. This result, which has been secured after a long legal struggle, will affect all Turkish citizens. The visa implementation for citizens of Turkey will definitely change after this struggle. It will be easier for Turkish citizens to go to EU countries to obtain residence permits.”
However, Camuz warned that there is a long way before a full visa-free implementation regarding Turkish citizens. He stated that the recent cases have paved the way for Turkish citizens who want to obtain residence and work permits from the EU countries but this does not mean that the Union has completely abolished entry requirements for Turkish citizens.
Also in June, another Turkish citizen, Guler Kasmaz had been granted one-year residence permit from the British Consulate-General in Istanbul. Kasmaz had resorted to the courts in the UK after the Consulate-General had initially rejected her application saying that she needed to show at least 200,000 pounds as the source of her investment. The UK court ruled that the decision of British Consulate-General was wrong.
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Saturday, 22 August 2009
Journal Of Turkish Weekly
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