Turks seeking US visas left reeling by diplomatic row
Ankara, Turkey - Turkish students, business executives and travel operators have been left reeling by the country’s dispute with the US that has led both to suspend visas.
Last year, 313,654 Turks went to the US while 459,493 Americans came to Turkey, according to figures provided by the Turkish Statistical Institute.
But the decision to charge a US consulate staffer with links to the American-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, accused of launching last year’s failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has thrown ties into turmoil.
In response, the US Embassy in Ankara said it would suspend non-immigrant visas including those for tourism and work. Turkey then halted all visa services at its US missions for American citizens.
“Students and their families are panicking,” said Zeynep Sen, a foreign education programme coordinator based in Istanbul, who helps students go abroad.
One of those affected is Ergun Coskun, a 22 year old student training to be an English teacher, who planned to go to the US to develop his English language skills. “All my plans are dead in the water,” Coskun said.
Every year around 26,000 Turkish students go to the US for educational reasons, according to Deniz Akar, managing director of International Education Fairs of Turkey. Some 10,000 go for English-language training, 10,000 for bachelors and masters degrees while 6,000 visit the US for the ‘Work and Travel’ summer programme, applications for which start now. Akar said if the visa suspensions continued, no one would be able to take part in the next summer programme.
John Bass, the US Ambassador to Ankara said, “If you want to apply for a visa at another US Embassy or consulate outside of Turkey, you are free to do so.”
However, Akar said this did not mean that visas would be granted.
Servet Alioglu, general manager at Saltur travel agency in Ankara, said a number of the company’s tours to the US would be cancelled but the impact of the row was wider. “This decision saw foreign currencies fly high. While there is this uncertainty and pessimism, no one is thinking about holidays,” Alioglu said, clinging to hope of a breakthrough.