Passport ranking surprises: Turkish passport loses value, visa wall rises
According to the Henley Passport Index, the Turkish passport has fallen to the same category as the Dominican Republic, Moldova, and Kiribati, placing it 46th in the global rankings. Despite having visa-free travel rights to 116 countries, the increasing visa barriers and loss of prestige have been brought to the parliamentary agenda.
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According to the July 2025 data from the Henley Passport Index, Turkish citizens can travel to 116 countries without a visa. However, this figure has not been enough to stop the loss of our passport's reputation worldwide. Most recently, the fact that even a TRT crew wishing to travel to Ireland to cover a Beşiktaş match was denied a visa has laid bare the scale of the problem.
DEVA Party Istanbul MP Hasan Karal has brought the decline of the Turkish passport in international rankings and the visa crisis, particularly with European Union countries, to the agenda of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Karal has submitted a written parliamentary question for Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan to answer regarding the issue.