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Turkey to start issuing biometric passports on Nov. 1

Xinhua, November 1, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Turkish government will start issuing biometric passports to its citizens on Nov. 1 as part of a step toward visa-free travel in the European Union, Anadolu news agency reported.

New passports will have chips containing biometric data, including fingerprints and facial image, according to Turkish interior ministry.

The biometric passports were requirement for visa-free travel for Turkish citizens in EU's Schengen zone, the report said.

The institution in charge of issuing passports is also changed from the police to the civil registration directorate under a recent statutory decree.

Visa liberalization has been one of the key promises of the EU as part of a deal hammered out in March to enhance EU-Turkey cooperation in addressing the refugee crisis and to accelerate Turkey's EU membership talks. Endit