Turkey and US suspends visa applications

Turkey and the United States have suspended all non-immigrant visa services for travel between the two countries, after last week's arrest of a US consulate employee in Istanbul. With some exceptions, the move effectively blocks Turks from traveling to the United States, and vice versa, indefinitely.

The US released a statement saying;

Recent events have forced the United States government to reassess the commitment of government of Turkey to the security of US mission and personnel," the statement by the US mission in Ankara said.

The Turkish Embassy on its part also released a statement confirming the development on Sunday.

Recent events have forced Turkish Government to reassess the commitment of the Government of the United States to the security of Turkish Mission facilities and personnel,” said the Turkish mission in a statement.

In order to minimize the number of visitors to our Embassy and Consulates while this assessment proceeds, effective immediately we have suspended all non-immigrant visa service at all Turkish diplomatic facilities in the US. This measure will apply to visas and passports as well as e-Visas acquired at the border,” read the statement.

Turkey’s move comes as retaliation to the U.S. Embassy in Ankara which said it suspended all non-immigrant visa operations in Turkey.

Earlier, Turkish national Metin Topuz, confirmed by the U.S.’ Istanbul Consulate as a local employee, was remanded in custody over terror charges by an Istanbul court on Wednesday last week.

Topuz is said to be linked to the Fetüllah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind last year’s failed coup in Turkey, a judicial source said on Wednesday.

Topuz is being accused of having links to a number of FETO suspects, including police commissioners and former prosecutor Zekeriya Öz, a fugitive accused of attempting to overthrow the government through the use of force, added the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.