Freedom of Movement Rights of Turkish Nationals in the European Union

Yalincak, Orhun Hakan (2013): Freedom of Movement Rights of Turkish Nationals in the European Union. Published in: Columbia Journal of European Law , Vol. 19, No. 3 (1 September 2013): pp. 391-422.

Abstract

This article is concerned with the evolving free movement rights of Turkish nationals in the European Union (‘EU’). The right to move freely represents one of the fundamental freedoms of the internal market, as well as an essential political element of the package of rights linked to the very status of citizenship of the EU. Given the fact that the holding of the nationality of a Member State is the condition sine qua non for acquiring citizenship of the EU, Turkish nationals are clearly not yet citizens of the EU; at best, they can be described as “EU citizens in being.” While the rights granted to Turkish nationals by the EU, are amongst the most extensive granted to third country nationals (‘TCNs’), the outer limits of their freedom of movement rights are firmly rooted in the specific free movement provisions in EU-Turkey Association Law. This naturally gives rise to several inter-related questions: how far should the free movement rights granted to EU nationals be extended to Turkish nationals, as citizens of an accession state? How do the freedom of movement rights of Turkish nationals compare with EU nationals? The freedom of movement rights for Turkish nationals, within the context of Turkey-EU relations, has been an important issue for Turkish citizens ever since 1980 when strict visa requirements were introduced. This problem confronts all strata of Turkish society, including the business community, the academic world, students, journalists, and almost 3 million family members of Turkish nationals living in the EU. This paper shows that the free movement rights of Turkish nationals under EU-Turkey Association law is independent of the political talks surrounding the re-admission agreement and “visa dialogue,” which are aimed at gradually permitting free movement in the EU for Turkish nationals. This paper shows that under the text of the AA, and as confirmed by ECJ case law, Turks have substantial free movement rights within the EU arising from EU-Turkey Association Law and these new agreements and requirements are evidence that the political consideration of the EU block continue to trump the legal considerations.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Ankara Agreement, Turkish citizens, EU citizens, Citizens Rights Directive, European Union, EU-Turkey Customs Union, free movement law,
• Subjects: J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J0 - General; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J0 - General > J00 - General; K - Law and Economics > K2 - Regulation and Business Law; K - Law and Economics > K2 - Regulation and Business Law > K20 - General; K - Law and Economics > K2 - Regulation and Business Law > K29 - Other; K - Law and Economics > K4 - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior; K - Law and Economics > K4 - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior > K40 - General; K - Law and Economics > K4 - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior > K42 - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O10 - General; Z - Other Special Topics > Z0 - General; Z - Other Special Topics > Z0 - General > Z00 - General

References

Ateş, M., The Legal Basis of the Free Movement Rights for Turkish Nationals within the EU (Ankara: DPT Yayın 1999).

Barnard, C., The Substantive Law of the EU: The Four Freedoms, (3rd ed., OUP, Oxford 2010).

Doukoure O. and Oger H., The EC External Migration Policy, The Case of the MENA Countries, (European University Institute, Italy: Badia Fiesolana, 2000).

Eeckhout, P., EU External Relations Law (2nd ed., OUP, Oxford 2011).

Koktas, A. ‘Avrupa Birliǧinde Ișcilerin Serbest Dolașim Hakki ve Tűrk Vatandașlarin Durumu’ (Nobel Yayin Daǧitim, Ankara, 1999).

Maduro, P., ‘We the Court: The European Court of Justice & the European Economic Constitution’ (Oxford 1998)

Özdemir, S., Türkiye-Avrupa Birliği İlişkilerinde İşçilerin Serbest Dolaşımı, (DPT Uzmanlık Tezi, Ankara: DPT Yayın No:2494, 1999).

Pazarci, H., ‘Uluslararasi Hukuk Aҫisindan Avrupa Ekonomik Topluluǧu’nun Yaptiǧi Anlașmalar’(Ankara Universitesi Siyasal Bilgiler Fakultesi Yainlari No. 418, 1978).

Pieters, K., The Integration of the Mediterranean Neighbours into the EU Internal Market (T.M.C. Asser Press, The Hague 2010).

Rogers, N., A Practitioner’s Guide to the EC-Turkey Association Agreement (Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1999).

Steiner, J. and Woods, L., ‘Textbook on EC Law’ (5th edn, Oxford 1996).

Tobler, C., Beglinger, J., Essential EU Law in Charts (2nd ed. Budapest: HVG Orac, 2010).

White, RCA, Workers, Establishment and Services in the EU (Oxford, OUP, 2004).

Ankersmith, L., Geursen, W., ‘Ruiz Zambrano: De Interne Situatie Voorbij’ (2011) Asiel & Migrantenrecht 156.

Aral, B., ‘Making Sense of the Anomalies in Turkish European Relations’ (2007) 7(1) Journal of Economic and Social Research 99.

Aybet, G., ‘Turkey and the EU After the First Year of Negotiations: Reconciling Internal and External Policy Challenges’ (2006) 37 Security Dialogue 529.

Barnard, C., ‘Derogations, Justifications and the Four Freedoms: Is State Interest Really Protected?’ in Barnard, C., and Odudu, O., ‘The Outer Limits of European Union Law’ (Hart Publishing, Oregon, 2009).

Barnard, C., ‘Restricting Restrictions: Lessons for EU from the U.S.?’ (2009) 68(3) C.L.J. 575.

Bernard, N., “Discrimination and Free Movement in EC Law” (1996) 45 I.C.L.Q. 82.

Carrera, S., ‘What Does Free Movement Mean in Theory and Practice in an Enlarged EU’ (2005) 11(6) E.L.J. 699.

Chido, C.J., ‘Peril of Movement: Migrating Roma Risk Expulsion as EU Member States Test the Limits of Free Movement’ 20 Tul.J.Int'l & Comp. L. 233.

Çiçekli, B., The Legal Reception and Status of Turkish Immigrants in the EU: A Comparative Study of Germany, The Netherlands and the UK, Ph.D Dissertation, 1996, University of London, retrieved from http://www.turkaydanismanlik.com/turcojuristsdocs/The_Legal_ Position_of_Turkish_Immigrants_in_the_EU.pdf.(last accessed 20 Feb 2012).

Daniele, L., “Non-Discriminatory Restrictions on the Free Movement of Persons” (1997) 22 E.L.Rev. 191.

Dauticourt, C., Thomas, S., ‘Reverse Discrimination and Free Movement of Persons Under Community Law: All for Ulysses, Nothing for Penelope?’ (2009) 34 E.L.Rev. 433.

Enchelmaier, S., ‘Always At Your Service (Within Limits): The ECJ’s Case Law on Article 56 TFEU’ (2006-2011)’ (2011) E.L.Rev. 615.

Elsuwege, P. v., ‘Shifting Boundaries? EU Citizenship and the Scope of Application of EU Law (2011) 38 Legal Issues of Econ.Integration 263.

Hailbronner, M., Sanchez, S.I., ‘The European Court of Justice and Citizenship of the European Union: New Developments Towards a Truly Fundamental Status’ (2011) 5(4) Vienna Journal on International Constitutional Law 498.

Hoogenboom, A., ‘Moving Forward by Standing Still? First Admission of Turkish Workers: Comment on Commission v Netherlands (Administrative Fees)’, (2010) 35 E.L. Rev. 707.

Jacobs, F., “Citizenship of the EU: A Legal Analysis’ (2007) 13 E.L.J. 591.

Karayigit, M.T., ‘Vive La Clause de Standstill: The Issue of First Admission of Turkish Nationals Into the Territory of A Member State Within the Context of Economic Freedoms’ (2011) E.J.Mig.Law 411.

Kochenov, D., ‘A Real European Citizenship: A New Jurisdiction Test: A Novel Chapter In the Development of the Union in Europe’ (2011) 56(18) Colum.J.E.L. 55.

Mendez, M., ‘The Legal Effect of Community Agreements: Maximalist Treaty Enforcement and Judicial Avoidance Techniques’ (2010) 21(1) EJIL 83.

Odudu, O., ‘Economic Activity as a Limit to Community Law’, in Barnard, C., and Odudu, O., (eds) The Outer Limits of EU Law (Hart Publishing, Oxford 2009).

Oliver, P., and Enchelmaier, S., “Free Movement of Goods: Recent Developments in the Case Law” (2007) 44 C.M.L.Rev. 649.

Ooik, R. V., ‘Freedom of Movement of Self-Employed Persons and the Europe Agreement’ 4 E.J.Mig.Law 377.

Ott, A., ‘The Savas case – Analogies between Turkish Self-Employed and Workers?’, (2000) (2) European Journal of Migration and Law 445.

Peers, S., ‘EC Immigration Law and EC Association Agreements: Fragmentation or Integration’ (2009) E.L.Rev. 628.

Shuibhne, N., ‘The Outer Limits of EU Citizenship’, in Barnard, C., and Odudu, O., ‘The Outer Limits of European Union Law’ (Hart Publishing, Oregon, 2009).

Snell, J., ‘The Notion of Market Access: A Concept or A Slogan?’ (2010) 47 C.M.L.Rev. 437.

Spaventa, E., ‘Seeing the Wood Despite the Trees? On the Scope of Union Citizenship and Its Constitutional Effects’ (2008) 45 C.M.L.Rev. 13.

Spaventa, E., ‘Leaving Keck Behind? The Free Movement of Goods After the Rulings in Commission v Italy and Mickelsson and Roos’ (2009) E.L.Rev. 914.

Spaventa, E., ‘From Gebhard to Carpenter: Towards A (Non-) Economic European Constitution’ (2004) 41 C.M.L.Rev. 743.

Tezcan/Idriz, N., ‘Free Movement of Persons between Turkey and The EU: to Move or, Not to Move? The Response of the Judiciary’ (2009) 46(5) CMLRev 1625–1633.

Tezcan-Idriz, N., ‘Dutch Courts Safeguarding Rights under the EEC-Turkey Association Law’ (2011) 13 E.J.Mig.Law 219.

Tobler, C., ‘Equal Treatment of Migrant Turkish Citizens in the EU’ (2010) 7(1) Ankara Law Review 1.

Van den Bogaert, S., ‘And Another Uppercut from the Court Justice to Nationality Requirements in Sports Regulations’ (2004) 29 E.L.R. 26.

Wathelet, M., ‘The Case Law of the European Court of Justice and Nationals of Non-European Community Member States’ (1996) 20(3) Fordham Int’l.L.J. 603.

Weiss, A., ‘Federalism and the Gay Family: Free Movement of Same-Sex Couples in the US and the EU’ (2005) 41 Colum.J.L. & Soc. Probs. 81.

Wenneras, P., Moen, K.B., ‘Selling Arrangements, Keeping Keck’ (2010) E.L.Rev. 387.

Yeo, V., ‘Discrimination or Market Access? Re-Evaluating the EU’s Organisation of its Internal Market’ (2008) C.S.L.R. 315.

Baydar, Y., ‘Schengen Requirements for Turks Are Illegal’ 15.March.2012 <http://www.sundayszaman.com/sunday/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=274432&columnistId=81>(last accessed 29 March 2012).

Duzenli, E., (2010), ‘Free Movement of Turkish Workers In the Context of Turkey’s Accession to the EU’ (http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12612611/index.pdf)(last accessed 20 Feb 2012).

Groenendijk, K. and Guild, E., ‘Visa Policy of Member States and the EU Towards Turkish Nationals after Soysal’, Economic Development Foundation Publications, No 232, 2010.

Morelli, V., ‘European Union Enlargement: A Status Report on Turkey’s Accession Negotiations’, Congressional Research Service (2011) <http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RS22517.pdf> (last accessed on 20 Feb. 2012).

Shah, P., ‘Activism in the ECJ and the Changing Options for Turkish Citizen Migrants in the UK’ Queen Mary University of London, Research Paper No. 25/2009 <(http://ssrn.com/abstract=1417993> (last accessed 23 Apr 2012).

Peers, S., ‘Statewatch Analysis: Amending the EU’s Visa List Legislation’, http://www.statewatch.org/analyses/no-175-visa%20list.pdf, last accessed 7th December 2012.

Ruiz-Jimenez, A., and Torreblanca, J., European Public Opinion and Turkey’s Accession: Making Sense of Arguments For and Against (Brussels, Centre for European Policy Studies, 2007).

Schrauwen, A., and Vandamme, T., ‘Towards a Citizenship of the Association’, http://www.rechten.unimaas.nl/iuscommune/activities/2012/2012-11-29/workshop13_Schrauwen_Vandamme.pdf , last accessed on 7 December, 2012.

Tezcan-Idriz, N. and Slot, P.J., ‘Free Movement of Persons Between Turkey and the EU: the Hidden Potential of Article 41(1) of the AP’, CLEER Working Papers 2010/2, The Hague: T.M.C. Asser Instituut.