US suspends all non-immigrant visa services in Turkey
The U.S. Embassy in Ankara on Oct. 8 announced that it suspended all non-migrant 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 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.
According to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Topuz is accused of talking on the phone with Zekeriya Öz, a fugitive former prosecutor who was dismissed from his post, and four former Gülenist police officers, Yakup Saygılı, Nazmi Ardıç, Mahir Çakallı and Mehmet Akif Üner, before the December 2013 graft probes.
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http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/us-suspends-all-non-immigrant-visa-applications-from-turkey-120548
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