Fast-track visa for Greek islands to start March 30

ANKARA

A recent meeting of Turkish and Greek deputy foreign ministers in Ankara aimed to reinforce the positive momentum in their diplomatic relations, according to a joint statement issued following the discussions.

Leading the Turkish delegation was Burak Akçapar, while his Greek counterpart, Alexandra Papadopoulou, headed the Greek team.

The March 11 talks, which took place within the ongoing framework of political dialogue meetings between the two countries, primarily centered on bilateral relations, alongside regional and international developments, read the statement.

"The two sides reiterated their joint commitment to build on the existing positive atmosphere in line with the Athens Declaration signed last December by the leaders of the two countries, exploring further areas of bilateral and international cooperation," it said.

In particular, the diplomats reviewed the preparations for the upcoming visit of Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis to Türkiye scheduled for May.

The visit will follow a significant meeting in last December between him and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, where the leaders pledged to initiate a "new page" in bilateral relations.

Held on the sidelines of the first high cooperation council between the nations in seven years, the five-hour discussion marked a potential turning point in their historically strained diplomatic ties.

A key focus of the leaders' discussions was the visa issue, with Mitsotakis addressing the matter in his post-meeting speech. The Greek prime minister suggested exempting Turkish citizens from Schengen visa requirements for seven days to visit the eastern Aegean islands.

In line with the proposal, Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis announced that the application process would commence on March 30, covering five islands initially. However, this move faced delays, prompting PASOK lawmaker George Nikitiadis to raise the issue in the Greek parliament.

Responding to the parliamentary question, Gerapetritis attributed the delays to the implementation being a "complex process."

The visa-on-arrival initiative will then expand to include five additional islands. Notably, Turkish passengers obtaining visas will not be able to travel to other European countries.