2010 ilerleme raporu - Avrupa Birliği Bakanlığı

stage. The finalization of a roadmap on asylum and migration is key. The Turkish institutions
have only limited capacity and, most importantly, no ownership of the refugee status
determination process for non-European asylum seekers. Thus the UNHCR, despite not
having formal status in Turkey, is virtually the sole authority capable of carrying out and
managing asylum procedures.
It remains a key priority to ensure equal and fair access to asylum procedures, to shorten,
albeit with the limited existing capacity, the waiting time as well as to give would-be asylum
seekers full access to legal aid and UNHCR staff.
Progress in the work towards the establishment of a country of origin and asylum case
management systems, and to facilitate the possibility for civil society organisations to
cooperate with the administration in providing assistance to refugees and migrants is also key.
A number of civil society organisations working in the area of asylum and migration came
together on 15 March 2010 and founded the ‘Turkey Refugee Rights Coordination’.
There has been little progress on visa policy. In August 2010, Turkey revised its policy as
regards duration of stays allowed for 90 days within 180 days, in line with EU acquis.
However, Turkey does not apply a uniform policy towards all EU citizens as regards the visa
obligation. Currently, citizens of 12 EU Member States are required to hold a visa to enter
Turkey, which can be obtained at the Turkish borders. Citizens of the other 15 Member States
are exempted from the visa obligation for a short stay of up to 90 days.
Turkish passports with biometric security features were put into use on 1 June 2010. Visa
issuing is now processed on-line among the Consular Offices and the Ministry of the Interior.
Introduction of new Turkish visa stickers with higher security features was further delayed.
Airport transit visas remain to be introduced. No administrative initiative took place for
gradually abolishing the issuance of sticker- and stamp-type visas at borders. Turkey agreed
on visa exemptions with, Libya and Jordan in December 2009, Lebanon in January 2010,
Russia in May 2010 and Tanzania and. Similar agreements with Syria in October 2009, Serbia
in July 2010 and Cameroon, published in July 2010, exclude ordinary passport holders. Some
of these countries are on the EU’s negative list.
Overall, alignment with the acquis in this area is at a very early stage.
On external borders and Schengen, limited progress has been achieved. The task force for
external borders meets every two months and prepares a draft roadmap for harmonising the
border management system with EU standards as part of the efforts to implement the national
action plan on integrated border management (IBM). A coordination board for IBM has been
established in May 2010 by Prime Ministerial decree to create an official follow-up
mechanism at decision-making level to screen progress towards achieving the target of IBM.
The board is also tasked with developing further policies and strategies in the area. In-service
training on IBM was delivered to all sub-governors, despite the delays in adopting the
proposed legislative amendment currently pending in the Parliament on expanding the tasks
of the deputy governors acting as administrative heads of the border agencies.
Inter-agency cooperation remains a key issue to be developed pending the reform process. For
instance, efficient and coordinated use of databases and risk analysis at the borders are
missing elements for integrated border management. Measures are required to deploy more
trained staff and additional border check equipment at border crossing points to prepare for
professionalised border management. Further efforts are needed to transfer border control
tasks to a new border security agency; the current agencies need to be strengthened at the
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