The U.S. ambassador to Turkey said on Monday the duration of a suspension in visa services in Turkey would depend on talks between the two governments regarding the detention of Turkish staff at the U.S. embassy.
On Sunday, the US embassy announced the suspension of non-immigrant visa services at the US diplomatic facilities in Turkey over the recent arrest of an employee of the US Consulate General in Istanbul. In response, Turkish authorities decided to suspend US visa applications.
"We realize that the suspension of visa services will inconvenience people. We hope it will not last long, but at this time we can’t predict how long it will take to resolve this matter. The duration will be a function of ongoing discussions between our two governments about the reasons for the detention of our local staff members and the Turkish Government’s commitment to protecting our facilities and our personnel here in Turkey," Bass said on Monday.
He said that the decision to suspend non-immigrant visa services for Turkish citizens had been taken "with great sadness."
"Now this suspension of services is not a visa ban on Turkish citizens. It’s a suspension of our consideration of new visa applications. If you have a valid visa, you can still travel to the United States. If you want to apply for a visa at another US embassy or consulate outside of Turkey, you are free to do so," the ambassador added.
Metin Topuz, who worked in the US Consulate General in İstanbul, is accused by the country's authorities of "undermining the constitutional order", "espionage" and "attempt to overthrow the Turkish government".
