US promises expanded visa services in Turkey after Ankara criticism

ISTANBUL: 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 tough relations between the NATO allies.US 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 US visa companies after Washington halted nearly all visa processing worldwide in March 2020 as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.However Turkish International Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday accused the US and likewise 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 yr.

“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 tough scenario earlier than the election,” he instructed Turkish broadcaster Haber International.The US State Division indicated that Washington didn’t need the difficulty to escalate.

“I don’t imagine in COVID, personnel excuses….In the event that they wished to, they may remedy it very simply,” Cavusoglu mentioned.”We’ve got no need for this to be an irritant in our bilateral relationship,” a State Division official mentioned in an emailed response to Reuters’ questions.With the opening of a brand new US embassy compound in Ankara, Washington will probably be resuming routine non-immigrant visa appointments there, the official added.”Mission Turkiye has been working very exhausting to beat delays, and we’re more than happy that the newly accomplished US Embassy compound in Ankara will allow us to increase our visa processing capability,” the official mentioned.

Requested concerning the feedback, the State Division official mentioned: “We settle for FM Cavusoglu’s expression of concern that this is a matter of frustration for Turkiye.”Cavusoglu threatened to impose counter-measures in opposition to Western international locations quickly if the visa situation stays unresolved.”Originally 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 will even take counter, restrictive measures,” he mentioned.Cavusoglu raised the visa situation with US 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 beneath 20,000 in 2021.The US official mentioned wait occasions may lower with the deliberate addition of latest processing capability.”Candidates ought to monitor our web site to view present visa wait occasions… These with current appointments could reschedule them by means of the web site if an earlier appointment is out there.”