Selangor Journal

Turkey urged US to review visa suspension

ANKARA, OCT 10: Turkey has urged United States (US) to review its visa service suspension after the arrest of a US consulate employee.
The REUTERS International News Agency reported that tension between the two North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) countries has affected Turkish currency and the country’s stock exchange.
Relations between Ankara and Washington started to dwindle after US openly supported Kurdish rebels in Syria, ignored Turkey’s request to extradite its cleric, Fethullah Gulen who is now based in US and indicted a former Turkish minister in US court.
However, last week, the arrest of a US consulate employee in Istanbul has brought the relation to a new low.

Ankara claimed the employee has links with Gulen, suspected to be the mastermind behind a failed coup in July 2016.
Gulen strongly denied having anything to do with the coup.
The US embassy strongly criticised Ankara’s allegations claiming it to be unfounded. Following that, the Turkish non-immigrant visa service was suspended immediately.
Ankara immediately reciprocated Washington’s action by doing the same for US citizens trying to get Turkish visa.
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan is disappointed with US’s decision to suspend its visa service.
He added that Turkish Foreign Ministry has contacted his counterpart on that matter.
“In the end, the decision was very disappointing,” said Erdogan during his visit to Ukraine.

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