EU to propose visa-free travel for Turks May 4 if terms met

The European Union's executive said on Wednesday it will propose on May 4 granting Turks visa-free travel to the bloc from late June in a deal under which it is to stop uncontrolled migration into Europe - provided Ankara meets the remaining conditions.

A first European Commission report on implementation of last month's EU-Turkey agreement said good progress had been made but more resources and commitments were needed to carry out sustained returns of migrants from Greece to Turkey and to resettle Syrian refugees from Turkey directly to Europe.

The Commission did not say how many of the 72 benchmarks for visa liberalisation Turkey has yet to complete but it pointed to several areas where work remains to be done.

They include reducing a backlog of asylum applications, granting all refugees legal access to the labour market, strengthening visa requirements...