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Everyone knew what they were voting for:
Turkey and the UK are “very close” to signing an FTA for the post-Brexit era.
Ankara hopes to negotiate a separate immigration deal that would grant Turks special status when the UK implements new migration rules. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/economy/turkey-uk-very-close-to-free-trade-deal/1905885
Turkey and the UK are “very close” to signing an FTA for the post-Brexit era.
Ankara hopes to negotiate a separate immigration deal that would grant Turks special status when the UK implements new migration rules. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/economy/turkey-uk-very-close-to-free-trade-deal/1905885
I wonder how this is going to go down with all the people who voted leave based on xenophobic scare mongering ads that if we stayed in the EU the country would fill up with Turkish people?
How does granting special immigration status to a country even square with the (ridiculous) arguments that the EU led to a racist immigration policy as it didn't treat all migrants to the UK equally?
Personally I don't have any issue with doing such deals and making reciprocal arrangements - but none of this squares with the rhetoric that Tory MPs have been pumping out for the benefit of the tabloid press.
The deal is going to be far more important to Turkey than to the UK. We are their second largest trading partner - they are a long way down the list for us though.
This ought to mean we get a good deal. Who knows what this government will concoct though...
This ought to mean we get a good deal. Who knows what this government will concoct though...
In terms of what is likely to be agreed, it is not propbable that it's anything close to free movement - more a replication of the Ankara Agreement - a deal between Turkey and the EEC signed way back in 1963, long before Britain had even joined the Common Market.
As an aside, this gives an indication of how long Turkey has been trying to get into a position to join the EU for.
And the follow on from this is how ridiculous it was to suggest that they full membership was somehow imminent. They were trying to get in before we were...
And the follow on from this is how ridiculous it was to suggest that they full membership was somehow imminent. They were trying to get in before we were...
The current agreements Turkey has with the EU state:
Turkish nationals legally employed in an EEC member state for a certain period gain rights to remain or switch employment in that state.
Turkish nationals legally employed in an EEC member state for a certain period gain rights to remain or switch employment in that state.
- A Turkish national legally employed by the same employer for one year has the right to permission from the member state to remain in that employment
- A Turkish national legally employed for three years in a particular area of work has the right to permission from the member state to take employment with any employer in that area
- A Turkish national legally employed for four years has the right to permission from the member state to take employment with any employer.
For the above items, a Turkish national who works legally as an au pair or while a student can count as a worker.
Now - none of the above items are a problem on their own terms - but depending on what we agree with the EU, it could well be the case that Turkish people coming here post December 31st will have a higher grade of Immigration status than those from EU countries.
A lot has changed since 1963 though - so it will be interesting to see whether and how these rules get updated to reflect this.
But I'm still struggling to believe that this is what the average Leave voter thought that they were voting for...
But I'm still struggling to believe that this is what the average Leave voter thought that they were voting for...
