Diplomatic contacts between ministries are continuing regarding the disruptions faced by international truck drivers in their Schengen visa processes. The Ministry of Trade reported that initiatives are ongoing in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure to resolve the issue.
It was stated that Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat is following the process in coordination with Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan and Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu. It was noted that discussions are being held with Bulgarian authorities and representatives of the European Commission.
According to the ministry's statement, the contacts include requests for the facilitation of visa procedures for truck drivers and the implementation of flexibilities that would ensure applications are handled on a priority basis. The goal is to prevent visa-related delays from causing disruptions in foreign trade and international transport activities.
PROCESS AT BORDER GATES UNDER MONITORING
Visa restrictions and disruptions in Schengen applications, which have particularly come to the fore at the Kapıkule and Hamzabeyli customs gates, are among the issues being monitored by the relevant institutions. The ministry announced that diplomatic channels are being utilized to address the grievances of transport companies and drivers and to ensure more efficient border crossings.
In the statement, in addition to diplomatic initiatives, a warning was issued to transport companies and drivers. Companies were asked to prepare their voyage and driver plans by taking into account current Schengen visa rules and permitted stay durations.
The ministry emphasized that this planning is important in terms of preventing potential congestion at customs gates and avoiding possible grievances. It was stated that efforts to address the problems faced by the international transport sector will continue in cooperation with the relevant institutions.
News Source: 12punto
