U.S. halts non-immigrant visas from Turkey as ties with Erdogan government deteriorate
Source: The Washington Post
U.S. halts some visa services in Turkey, citing security concerns
By Erin Cunningham October 8 at 3:15 PM
ISTANBUL — The U.S. Embassy in Ankara announced Sunday that it was suspending all non-immigrant visa services at diplomatic facilities across Turkey, in what appeared to be an act of retaliation after Turkey arrested an employee of the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul last week.
In a statement, the embassy said the move was aimed at limiting visitors to the U.S. mission while the United States “reassesses” Turkey’s commitment to the security of American personnel, an extraordinary admission that underscores the fraught ties between the onetime allies.
The decision follows the arrest last week of Metin Topuz, a Turkish employee of the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul, whom authorities here accused of espionage. The embassy said it was “deeply disturbed” by the arrest and called the allegations “wholly untrue.”
On Friday, U.S. Ambassador John Bass met with Turkish reporters in Ankara and said Topuz was being tried “through media outlets” rather than in a court of law.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/us-halts-some-visa-services-in-turkey-citing-security-concerns/2017/10/08/02bdc01a-ac52-11e7-9b93-b97043e57a22_story.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
and now it may never come again!
