Brussels, 26/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - Responding in a press release on 25 September to the judgment by the Court of Justice of the EU in the Demirkan case (C-221/11, see EUROPE 10928) which ruled that Turkish citizens wishing to receive services in the EU must hold an entry visa, Turkish Minister for EU Affairs and chief accession negotiator Egemen Bagis speaks of “an unfair decision … affected by political concerns rather than legal considerations” which favours “the 'law of rulers' over the 'rule of law'”. He argues that the Court decision is “in contradiction with the idea of eliminating borders which is one of the fundamental values of the EU” since it deprives Turkish citizens of the opportunity to receive services within the scope of freedom to provide services in the EU without holding a visa, and also “with the visa liberalisation process which we [Turkey] are currently carrying out with the EU. (…) This makes us question the sincerity of the member states regarding the visa liberalisation process”. Turkey, the minister states, will “take into account the positions of these member states in the readmission agreement/visa liberalisation process currently ongoing with the Commission”. (FG/transl.fl)