No freedom of movement for Turks in EU, says Labour

Stricter conditions should apply to the freedom of movement for the inhabitants of Turkey if the country joins the European Union, says the Dutch Labour party. The demand is included in Labour’s first draft manifesto for the European elections in June 2009. .article_related_box table { width: 225px; }

Labour’s stance on EU membership for Turkey, published on Monday, brings the party closer to the position of the right-wing Dutch liberal party VVD.

The VVD has made it clear that it will only agree to Turkey joining the EU if there is an exemption to the right of the country’s workers to find employment in other member states.

The Dutch Labour party also wants restrictions to Turkey's accession to the Schengen area which allows complete freedom of travel, without border checks, between a number of EU nations.

Turkey has been in talks on EU membership since 2004 but the issue is an extremely sensitive one in many member states.

In yesterday’s manifesto, the Labour party says that promises of EU membership to countries in the western Balkans and Turkey should be honoured as long as the countries involved meet the so-called Copenhagen criteria for democratic governance, human rights and market economy.