EUROPEAN UNION RENEGES ON 'VISA' PROMISE FOR TURKISH DRIVERS

GLOBAL TRANSPORTERS are facing issues at customs. Despite the EU Commission’s “Green Line” initiative that aimed to provide visa convenience for drivers, some countries are still refusing to follow these instructions. Some EU countries are following the necessary flexible attitude due to the coronavirus outbreak even though it’s limited in their borders. However, other EU countries are still imposing strict rules for transporters, according to Alper •zel, Executive •fficer of the International Transporters Association (UND). UND officers have prepared a report on what kinds of issues drivers are facing regarding their visa and presented it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Ministry of Trade, and the EU Commission’s relevant offices in Turkey and Brussels. Transporters expect the relevant ministries to begin lobbying activities in order not to delay exports. According to Daily Dunya, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Austria, and Hungary are among countries that cause visa troubles to Turkish drivers.

•n March 30, The EU Commission announced new instructions for EU countries to ignore the visa timeouts under force majeure and to extend visas of people working in some critical sectors, including Turkish drivers, during the fight against the pandemic.

Despite the commission’s decision, some countries are not following these instructions, according to •zel. Although Germany is not one of them, since some governments are refusing to extend some Schengen visas, drivers are facing issues due to their expired visas on their routes from Germany to Turkey. “Countries that are situated on the Germany-Turkey route act negatively toward Turkish drivers despite the harsh conditions of the outbreak,” •zel said.

LOBBYING ACTIVITIES NEEDED

Ozel believes the relevant ministries should carry out lobbying activities to provide a permanent solution for visa issues. Turkish drivers and companies that provide necessities to the EU public and businesses can’t overcome the visa obstacle despite the “Green Line” instructions and are facing various issues during this process. Within the EU, these rules are ignored. “However, the relevant parties should provide a solution for the drivers with expired visas under force majeure, which includes the Covid-19 pandemic, under the existing Schengen rules,” •zel said, adding that the UND expects the EU countries to follow the instructions that allow permitting visas at borders or extending the existing visas.

Alper Ozel, UND: “Relevant parties should provide a solution for the drivers with expired visas under force majeure, which includes the Covid-19 pandemic, under the existing Schengen rules.”