government: Claims that UK is set to open doors to 1m Turkish citizens 'completely untrue'

UK senior cabinet ministers have denied claims that the government is considering allowing more than 1 million Turkish citizens visa-free travel to the UK, after information about "leaked documents" emerged in a leading Sunday paper, ITV reported.

According to The Sunday Times, a cache of five documents seen by its staff shows British diplomats had secretly discussed granting as many as 1.5 million Turkish citizens easier access to the Schengen area but EU officials were attempting to keep any visa deal under wraps until after the referendum.

Home Secretary Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the claims were "completely untrue" and insisted that UK border restrictions would not be lifted.

In a joint statement, May and Hammond said: "The Government's policy is, and will remain, to maintain current visa requirements for all Turkish nationals wishing to visit the UK, regardless of what arrangements other member states in the Schengen area may make with Turkey."

The leaked cables referred to in the paper relate to a visa deal, reportedly planned as recompense for Turkish help dealing with the Syrian migrant crisis.

In one, Janet Douglas, the deputy head of mission in Ankara, was reported to have told the Foreign Office that when it was implemented "we will need to develop our own lines on the UK's stance to visa-free travel for Turks. "One option would be to assess again the possibility of visa travel for Turkish special passport holders which would be a risk, but a significant and symbolic gesture to Turkey."

And another memo was said to suggest the European Commission was seeking to "avoid major escalation of tensions" with Turkey "before the end of June" so the issue could be kept "under control".

May and Hammond have hit back at the claims saying the published exerts were "selectively leaked quotes" that had been used "to give a completely false impression that the UK is considering granting visa liberalisation to some Turkish citizens". 

Source ; MENA