Turkey suspends US visa applications after US decision to suspend all non-immigrant visa services

WASHINGTON

Turkish Embassy in Washington said on Oct. 8 that it suspended all non-immigrant visa services at all Turkish diplomatic facilities in the U.S. in retaliation for the latest decision by the U.S. Embassy in Ankara to suspend all non-migrant visa services at its diplomatic facilities in the country.

"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. 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," a statement by the Embassy read.

"This measure will apply to visas in passports as well as e-Visas and visas acquired at the border," it added.

Statement from the Turkish Mission to the U.S., October 8, 2017 pic.twitter.com/4i0BwInOCj

— TurkishEmbassyDC (@TurkishEmbassy) 8 Ekim 2017

The response came hours after the U.S. Embassy in Ankara announced that it had suspended all non-immigrant visa services at its diplomatic facilities in Turkey.

"Recent events have forced the United States Government to reassess the commitment of the Government of Turkey to the security of US Mission facilities and personnel. 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 services at all U.S. diplomatic facilities in Turkey," the Embassy said in a statement issued on its Twitter account.

The U.S. move comes at a moment when relations between the two allies are going through severe turbulence, amid the arrest of Istanbul Consulate staff member Metin Topuz late on Oct. 4 over espionage charges and alleged links with some leading members of the Gülen network, accused of being behind last year’s failed coup attempt.