U.S. promises expanded visa services in Turkey after Ankara criticism

ISTANBUL, Aug 24 (Reuters) – The USA promised on Wednesday to increase its visa processing capability in Turkey, shifting to defuse a dispute that has threatened to additional pressure already troublesome relations between the NATO allies.

U.S. visa candidates in Turkey have been going through monumental delays, with wait occasions for an appointment extending as much as 15 months. It’s a part of a world bottleneck in U.S. visa companies after Washington halted virtually all visa processing worldwide in March 2020 because of the COVID pandemic.

However Turkish International Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday accused the US and in addition some European nations of deliberately drawing out their visa utility course of, calling it an effort to embarrass President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Celebration forward of elections in Turkey subsequent 12 months.

The U.S. State Division indicated that Washington didn’t need the difficulty to escalate.

“We now have no need for this to be an irritant in our bilateral relationship,” a State Division official stated in an emailed response to Reuters’ questions.

With the opening of a brand new U.S. embassy compound in Ankara, Washington will likely be resuming routine non-immigrant visa appointments there, the official added.

“Mission Turkiye has been working very exhausting to beat delays, and we’re very happy that the newly accomplished U.S. Embassy compound in Ankara will allow us to increase our visa processing capability,” the official stated.

TESTY TIES

Bilateral relations have been strained in recent times over a spread of points together with Turkey’s resolution to purchase Russian missile defence methods. With the battle in Ukraine, Washington has grown extra involved about Ankara’s ties with Moscow and has warned of Turkish companies turning into embroiled in Western sanctions towards Russia.

In his feedback on Tuesday, Cavusoglu advised the delays in issuing visas to Turks have been politically motivated.

“We see that they’re doing it intentionally. That is how our individuals see it too. We contemplate these because the steps taken to place the AK Celebration authorities in a troublesome state of affairs earlier than the election,” he informed Turkish broadcaster Haber International.

“I do not consider in COVID, personnel excuses….In the event that they needed to, they may resolve it very simply,” Cavusoglu stated.

Requested concerning the feedback, the State Division official stated: “We settle for FM Cavusoglu’s expression of concern that this is a matter of frustration for Turkiye.”

Cavusoglu threatened to impose counter-measures towards Western international locations quickly if the visa situation stays unresolved.

“Initially of September, our colleagues will name the ambassadors of those Western international locations to the ministry, and they’ll make the required warnings. If it doesn’t enhance after that, we can even take counter, restrictive measures,” he stated.

Cavusoglu raised the visa situation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Could in New York. They mentioned the matter once more by telephone this month.

Earlier than the pandemic in 2019, the US issued greater than 85,000 non-immigrant visas in Turkey however that determine had dropped to under 20,000 in 2021.

The U.S. official stated wait occasions may lower with the deliberate addition of recent processing capability.

“Candidates ought to monitor our web site to view present visa wait occasions… These with present appointments might reschedule them by the web site if an earlier appointment is accessible.”

Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk
Enhancing by Gareth Jones

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