U.S., TURKEY MUTUALLY LIFT VISA RESTRICTIONS, ENDING MONTHS-LONG ROW
The United States and Turkey lifted all visa restrictions on Thursday
after Washington said Ankara had kept to assurances no further U.S. mission
staff would be targeted for performing official duties, following detention of
two earlier this year.
But Turkey swiftly denied having granted such assurances in the affair
that has tested relations since the two local employees of the U.S. consulate
in Istanbul were held on suspicion of ties to last year’s failed coup against
President Tayyip Erdogan.
The United States suspended visa services at its missions in Turkey in
October and Turkey reciprocated. In November, Washington said it was resuming
limited services upon getting assurances on the safety of its local staff.
“Based on adherence to these assurances, the Department of State is
confident that the security posture has improved sufficiently to allow for the
full resumption of visa services in Turkey,” the U.S. Embassy in Ankara said on
Thursday.
It said the United States continued to have concerns about the two
employees detained.
Turkey, while announcing the end of restrictions on the issue of visas
to U.S. citizens, took issue with the U.S. declaration.
“We do not find it right for the United States to claim it had received
assurances from Turkey and misinform the U.S. and Turkish publics,” the Turkish
Embassy in Washington said in a statement.
Turkey’s lira firmed to 3.78 against the U.S. dollar after the
statement, its highest level since Oct. 31, and the main share index BIST100
climbed 2.08 percent to reach its highest closing level ever.
Relations between the two NATO allies have become strained in the last
year with Turkey angered by what it sees as the U.S. reluctance to hand over
Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey blames for the coup attempt in July of 2016.
Turkey was further annoyed by U.S. military support for Kurdish YPG
fighters in Syria, considered by Ankara to be an extension of the banned PKK
which has waged an insurgency for three decades in southeast Turkey.
More recently, Turkey took a leading role in the United Nations to pass
a resolution denouncing a U.S. move to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli
capital.
News source :Reuters
No comments