US stops issuing visas to Turkish citizens, Ankara responds

The United States and Türkiye have reduced visa issuance for citizens of each other's countries, increasing diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

US Embassy in Ankara, Türkiye. Photo: Press TV.

The US Embassy in Ankara announced on October 8 that "recent events" forced the US government to reassess Türkiye's "commitment" to US missions and diplomatic personnel in the country.

In order to minimize the number of visitors during the assessment, "we have suspended non-immigrant visa services at all US diplomatic facilities in Türkiye. The order is effective immediately," AFP quoted a statement from the US embassy in Ankara as saying.

Nonimmigrant visas are issued to people who come to the United States temporarily for tourism, medical treatment, business, work, or study. Immigrant visas are only for people who want to live in the United States permanently.

Türkiye responded the same day by suspending “all visa services” for US citizens. The measures also apply to visas issued online and at the border. The announcement from the Turkish embassy in Washington was almost identical to the announcement from the US embassy in Ankara, seemingly mocking the US.

Tensions between the US and Türkiye have recently increased due to Washington's military support for the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara views as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade insurgency in southeastern Türkiye.

Türkiye has also pressed the US to extradite cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania, in connection with the failed military coup in July 2016, but to no avail. Gulen denies any involvement in the coup.

According to VNE