TIT FOR TAT! Turkey, US missions suspend services over staff security

Diplomatic tension between the US and Turkey is on the high after Ankara suspended non-immigrant visa services at all Turkish diplomatic facilities in the United States, hours after the US mission to Turkey announced same measure.

The US said it was restricting visa services, saying that recent events had forced it to “reassess” Ankara’s comment to the security of US facilities and staff.

“In order to minimise the number of visitors to our Embassy and Consulates while this assessment proceeds, effective immediately we have suspended all non-immigrant visa services at all Turkish diplomatic facilities in US,” read its statement on Twitter, echoing the earlier US announcement.

Read also: SANCTIONS: Turkey hits back, accuses Germany of harbouring terrorists

In its reply, a first version of the Turkish statement had said the measure would apply “to visas in passports”, however, a later version said the measure “will apply to sticker visas as well as e-Visas and border visas”, leaving open the question of whether US travelers who already have visas would be allowed to enter Turkey.

Three months ago, Turkey was also at loggerheads with Germany after Berlin stepped up a travel advisory for Istanbul and considered slapping sanctions over its arrest of human rights activists.

In its reply, Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, described Germany’s stance against Turkey as “unacceptable” and accused it of harbouring terrorists.

 

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