Apparently the old adage, “Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face” is not taught in Turkey. Today, Turkey suspended the issuance of visas to U.S. citizens, effectively killing all U.S. tourism.
I love Turkey, but the nation is still hurting from the string of terrorist attacks over the last few years that scared off most tourists. Businesses are desperate for visitors. Turkey made it somewhat easier to visit with a new and cheaper e-visa system, but that’s all been placed on hold.
After a U.S. consulate employee was arrested in Turkey last week for spurious reasons, the U.S. responded by suspending the issue of all non-immigrant visa in Turkey.
Recent events have forced the United States government to reassess the commitment of government of Turkey to the security of U.S. mission and personnel. 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 U.S. diplomatic facilities in Turkey.
Clever Turkey merely switched “US” and “Turkey” in its own tit-for-tat response hours later:
Recent events have forced the United States government to reassess the commitment of government of Turkey to the security of U.S. mission and personnel. In order to minimise the number of the visitors to our diplomatic and consular missions in the US while this assessment proceeds, effective immediately we have suspended all visa services regarding the US citizens at our diplomatic and consular missions in the US. This measure will apply to sticker visas as well as e-visas and border visas.
Note the last sentence: it applies to e-visas and border visas.
Turkish e-Visa Page Already Blocked for U.S. Citizens
Sure enough, if you visit the Turkish e-visa page, start a new application, and choose “USA” for citizenship, you’ll encounter the following message:
I don’t see another way to read this except that U.S. citizens are not currently welcomed to visit Turkey. I do think transit without visa will still be permitted and visas already issued may still be valid. We don’t know yet. We will see and I will certainly report back.
CONCLUSION
Mark this as developing. I’ll save my commentary for later, but it is probably already clear how shortsighted I find this policy. We will see if visas are granted to U.S. citizens from diplomatic missions in other countries, but I doubt it.
Please chime in if you have any experience today entering Turkey as a U.S. citizens.
Later today I’ll discuss what this means for Turkish Airlines. As it turns out, I have a trip booked via Istanbul coming up in Turkish Business Class with a 23-hour layover. I had planned to leave the airport, but at this point I may scrap the trip…
I would love to read this blog outside of politics….
I did not view this as a political statement. Rather, I read it as an important heads up for anyone traveling to Turkey.
Given the popularity of the destination and the airline, I think it warrants a mention.
As someone who has a big family vacation planned for Istanbul later this year (and no visa yet), I find this information critical. I don’t get why you feel this is political?
Don’t think I’m defending Trump here. I am condemning the theocratic/autocratic Erdogan regime because it directly implicates travel.
How is it theocratic/autocratic when Turkey does this, but fine when the US does it? I understand it’s inconvenient for you. But how is it ok for Turkish citizens who have spent thousands for their tickets and hotel reservations when they can’t enter the US anymore.
My mantra: don’t respond to evil with evil.
I have the same view as James, would prefer a politically neutral blog.
Not a fan of retaliatory actions, but honestly what actions can a state take while being essentially strong armed? It’s the same kind of issue in my eyes as the US visa process and the reciprocity fees in Southern America. I can only wish that the EU would have the balls for a similar move.
Why do they need to retaliate? Why can’t they just condemn the U.S. while still welcoming U.S. visitors to show that such actions on the part of the U.S. gov’t are unwarranted.
I think the ship has sailed for Erdogan to win the Nobel peace prize, so what kind upside do you see for taking the moral high ground?
Not only have Turks had to go through a much more difficult process to get to the US then vice versa, but now they’re supposed to do nothing? I don’t think that’s how you win dictator brownie points.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the US has a sizable military presence in Turkey so perhaps putting such a blanket ban was calculated to influence all the ‘civilian’ military industrial complex personel that has to travel back and forth to put some pressure from within to stop this stand off via back channels.
I for one appreciate the discussion, and didn’t take it as political, just the common sense observation that Turkey is making it that much more difficult for its tourism sector by making it more difficult for Americans to visit. Turkey has been a tourist destination for quite some time, for Americans, and now it’s more difficult.
I have a family trip to Istanbul scheduled for this Christmas and don’t have any visas yet. Anyone know what my options might be at this point? My wife and I have two revenue business class tickets booked on Air France. And my parents have award business class tickets on United there and a separate business class award ticket on Turkish Airlines for the return. What are my options? I love Istanbul and would really still like to go. But can I get refunds from the airlines?
I hope the situation will be resolved by then.
@James and @Lack, are you siding with Turkey over this? It’s clearly retaliation by the way their response was written. You know it, I know it, everybody knows it.
Great post — very helpful to the hundreds of readers who use TK to connect globally.
If by siding you mean recognizing a sovereign state to make decisions (be it good or bad) then yes, I do side with Turkey on it.
I have not deeper knowledge on the issues at hand then just the couple Boarding Area blog posts, but it seems like the US is forcing Turkeys hand by initiating the visa block utilizing their position of power (aka bullying).
It id funny that you imply Turkish actions as “sovereign decisions”, but call U.S actions as “bullying”. What not call them “sovereign decisions” as well?
I arrived today to instanbul and was advised that at 10pm local time was their cutoff for visas to us citizens but Imstill wondering if I can go to Greece and renter turkey since my visa was valid when obtained