Visa doors closed to Turkish citizens: They set a date for 2026
The surge in visa applications due to high inflation in Turkey has led European countries to close their doors to many Turkish citizens, and many people who had previously received Schengen visas have surprisingly received rejection letters when applying from Turkey.
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While foreign travel has become the first stop for domestic tourists, especially in Balkan and European countries, the number of visa applications from Turkey has reached its highest levels in recent years.
However, following European countries raising rejection rates for visa applications to all-time highs in response to this increase in demand, bad news has also come from the US.
THEY POINTED TO 2026 FOR VISA APPLICATIONS
The US, which applied quite easy visa procedures for Turkish citizens in previous years, has made notable changes to the visa application process for Turkish citizens following the increase in applications as well as problems in bilateral relations.
The US embassy and consulates, which have opened lower quotas for applications from Turkey compared to previous years, have caused a backlog in visa applications. While the earliest date for new US visa applications from Turkey has been postponed until January 2026, this situation has implicitly led to comments of a "visa restriction on Turkey."
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES HAVE ALSO TAKEN ADDITIONAL MEASURES REGARDING TURKEY
On the other hand, while European countries have made comprehensive changes to border practices citing increasing refugee and asylum applications, additional measures have been taken against Turkey in the new steps to be taken.
With the practice it started in recent days, Germany has effectively suspended the Schengen procedure, and tourists coming from many countries were sent back from the border despite having visas. Following this decision, an agreement reached between Berlin and Ankara decided on the return to Turkey of approximately 15 thousand Turkish citizens whose asylum applications were rejected in Germany.
While Turkey stated that it would accept nearly 500 Turkish citizens every week, changes in the visa policies of European countries, especially Germany, are expected to become more widespread in the coming period.
ONE IN EVERY 5 APPLICATIONS WAS REJECTED
According to the latest statistics, European countries, which reject 1 out of every 5 applications made from Turkey, have caused rejection rates to rise to 20 percent and reach an all-time high.