The U.S. consulates in Turkey indefinitely halted all non-immigrant visa services on Sunday, the American embassy said, after one of the mission's Turkish staffers was arrested.
The U.S. Embassy in the Turkish capital of Ankara tweeted a statement from the U.S. Mission to Turkey saying that recent events have forced it to "reassess the commitment of the Government of Turkey to the security of U.S. Mission facilities and personnel."
Last week, a U.S. consulate employee in İstanbul was arrested on charges of links to the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen's network, blamed for last year's failed coup failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a move condemned by Washington as baseless and damaging to ties between two countries.
"Recent events have forced the United States government to reassess the commitment of the government of Turkey to the security of U.S. mission and personnel," the statement by the mission in Ankara said.
"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."
Non-immigrant visas are issued to all those travelling to the United States for tourism, medical treatment, business, temporary work or study. Visa services are only those seeking to live in the US permanently.
Turkey said Sunday it was halting all visa services for Americans at its diplomatic missions in the U.S. in a tit-for-tat move after Washington made a similar announcement earlier in the day.
