Merkel: Turkey must meet EU terms to get travel rights

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she told Turkey that Ankara must fulfill all the European Union’s conditions, including revisions to anti-terror laws, to secure visa-free travel for its citizens.

Speaking after meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, Merkel expresses concern about a move to strip legislators of their immunity from prosecution. But she also underlines her commitment to an EU-Turkey deal aimed at stemming Europe’s migrant influx amid rising tensions with Ankara.

Turkey meanwhile complains of “double standards” by the EU and demands that Brussels keep its side of the bargain.

Erdogan’s economy adviser, Yigit Bulut, tells state-run television that Turkey could make “very radical decisions,” including shelving a Customs Union agreement with the EU, if the bloc fails to “meet promises made to Turkish citizens.”