Turkish European Affairs Minister Volkan Bozkir says he is not "hopeful" over the prospects of overcoming a deadlock on part of the country's migrant deal with the European Union. Bozkir was speaking in Brussels on Friday following talks with the EU's enlargement commissioner and foreign policy chief amid a standoff over whether Turkey should amend its anti-terrorism laws to secure visa-free travel in Europe for its citizens. The issue of visa-free travel threatens to derail a wider EU-Turkey accord under which Ankara has agreed to stem the flow of migrants to Europe. The minister said Brussels had not responded positively to a Turkish request for new "political consultations" over the five remaining criteria - including the anti-terror legislation - which Turkey has to achieve for the visa waiver. Bozkir said the Turkish suggestion would have helped overcome an impasse within the European Parliament. Bozkir reiterated that Turkey was in "no political position" to modify its anti-terror laws at a time when its security forces were battling Kurdish militants and ISIS extremists who have carried out a series of deadly attacks in the country since July.
