The President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz accused Turkey of breaking its promise on reforming its anti-terrorist laws, waring Erdogan the EU would toughen its stance on issuing free travel visas to Turkish citizens to the EU.

In an interview to German ‘Die Welt’, Schulz pointed out that he expected Ankara to push forward with reforms regarding the protection of citizen’s personal data and the anti-terrorist law. The demands stem from the deal between the EU and Turkey on the refuge crisis. So far Turkey has adopted a series of requirements laid out by the EU in order to receive the opening of EU accession chapters and free visas to the EU for its citizens, among other concesions.

However, it has declined to change aspects of its anti-terrorist laws, deemed too authoritarian by the EU, which is one of the preconditions for the travel visas. ‘If this (talks in Turkish parliament to change anti-terrorist law) does not happen the European institutions will be unable to honour the road map. Otherwise, I can not see how a visa can be issued to Turkish citizens by October’, said Schulz.

The European President made it clear that Turkish President Erdogan’s threats to break the EU-Turkey agreement would not sway the determination of the EU. He claimed the only thing the intransigency of Erdogan would achieve was to make Europeans more resolute in demanding 100% of the provisions in the deal be met.