EU won’t ease visa process unless Turkey softens counterterrorism laws

The European Union said on Friday it would not ease travel requirements for Turkish citizens unless Ankara softens “excessive” counterterrorism laws. The EU has been shocked by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security crackdown following a botched coup in 2016 that saw some 50,000 people arrested and 150,000 more sacked or suspended from their jobs, Reuters said. Ankara says it needs its terrorism laws, given the severity of security threats it faces. The EU suspended Turkey’s long-stalled membership talks last year over democracy concerns under Erdogan.