OPINION: Turkish students' protests over visas for Italy: EU must resolve thorny issue of visa liberalization

The visa issue between Türkiye and the EU is increasingly heating up. For some time now, Turkish citizens' discontent has been growing to the extent that recently some of them staged protests in front of Italian diplomatic offices in Türkiye demanding their right to study in Italy. Indeed, as the new academic year started months ago, students who won scholarships or have been regularly enrolled in the Italian universities are still waiting for their visas to be issued, sparking a wave of general frustration over the current status quo.

-EU visas: A thorny issue

All of this necessarily leads to broader observations that, while not disregarding considerations of internal adjustment or mismanagement, bring the issue back to the level of relations between Türkiye, Italy, and the EU. Indeed, the issue of visa liberalization for Turkish citizens to the Schengen area has been on European desks for quite some time. This was a topic widely debated between Ankara and Brussels and was included as a condition of some transnational cooperation agreements.

Back in 2013, in the spirit of the EU's “positive agenda” towards Ankara, the dialogue on visa liberalization for Turkish citizens started with the signing of a readmission agreement in the field of migration. But visa liberalization remained a pending condition in the framework of the so-called "Refugees agreement,” which was signed in 2016 in order to contain the risk of a new wave of migration towards Europe. Nevertheless, when necessary, the EU dusts off these agreements off by acknowledging Türkiye as a "valuable partner" for its key role in addressing regional and global challenges.

Actually, the volatility of the European promises is dramatically evident: over time, efforts to facilitate visa procedures have paradoxically shifted into greater constraints and difficulties for Turks. In this intricate framework, it is certainly appropriate to consider irregular migration as a big international challenge pushing European governments to adopt more rigid approaches in their border control attempts.

On the other hand, in Türkiye, demand to study abroad saw a sharp increase, and Italy is among the top destinations for Turkish students. Hence, consular offices have been subjected to stringent pressure given the exponential number of applications regarding Schengen entry visas for various reasons, including tourism. While student visas generally fall into the category of national visas, they are granted to Turks within the framework of the Schengen agreement, which sets a series of rules of engagement pivoting on the guarantee that the beneficiaries would not present a migratory risk to Europe. According to this, the assessment procedures for every application are careful and meticulous; thus, they may require time.

-Italy and Türkiye: Friends and allies with a knot to untie

As it is well known, Italy and Türkiye are friends, allies, and strategic partners in several respects. Historically, relations have always been good and constructive. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have adopted a positive and sympathetic approach towards each other with substantial points of agreement in several areas. Bilaterally, there is a synergy between the two counterparts: they are in open contact in diplomacy, the business and economic worlds of the two countries hit important landmarks, and cooperation in the touristic, cultural, and educational sectors is very significant. The high and deep level of bilateral relations reflects the mutual interest in facilitating contacts and establishing closer ties.

-Much-needed visa liberalization

The visa issue and the treatment of Turkish citizens could certainly undermine the spirit of solidarity and trust with the EU. The risk is that in the long run the current regime and discontent may cause a clear fracture between Türkiye and European countries, including Italy. However, European governments are aware of the significance of students for their future relations with Türkiye. Thus, there is room to believe that a more effective system will be adopted in the management of requests, in line with required criteria and investigations.

Actually, while an improvement in the management of visa applications at a national level is certainly feasible, European visa liberalization remains desirable. This is the only option Europe has to keep its commitment towards Türkiye and the Turkish people, especially towards the young people who have started to feel a certain sense of marginalization. What appears dystopian is that the EU has already applied a more liberalized approach towards some developing countries, while Türkiye, which is an EU candidate country, has been excluded. In violation of the principle of reciprocity, Turkish citizens are relegated to a sort of permanent waiting room that certainly does not elevate relations to a condition of equality. As the status quo is no longer sustainable, a liberalized visa regime could honor the current synergy between Türkiye and the EU and would alleviate the frictions that could erupt into political crisis. Indeed, there is room for criticism in any sincere friendship, but what matters is a fair commitment to each other with a win-win perspective.

*Opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Anadolu.