Turkish missions in US resume visa services
WASHINGTON
The Turkish Embassy in Washington announced on Nov. 9 that Turkey’s diplomatic and consular missions in the U.S. have started accepting visa applications of U.S. citizens on a limited basis.
“Regarding e-visas and border visas, the statement by our Embassy dated Oct. 8 is still in effect,” it said in a statement, indicating that visa services at borders and e-visa procedures were still suspended.
The Turkey-U.S. visa row was sparked Oct. 8, when the U.S. Embassy in Ankara announced the suspension of non-immigrant visa services to Turkish nationals, which prompted Turkey’s retaliation.
The move came after the arrest of a local employee at the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul, prompting a tit-for-tat response from Ankara.
Ankara and Washington have taken mutual steps for accepting visa applications on a “limited basis” ahead of an official visit by Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım to the U.S.
The U.S. had claimed the decision to resume visa services came after Turkey’s assurance that no additional local employees of the U.S. mission would be investigated, detained or arrested for “performing their official duties.”
