United States: US, Turkey issue reciprocal visa suspensions October 8

Event

The US diplomatic mission to Turkey announced on Sunday, October 8, that it would immediately suspend non-immigrant visa services at its diplomatic facilities in Turkey. The visa service suspension follows the arrest of a US Consulate in Istanbul employee on Wednesday, September 4, on charges of being linked to the Hizmet (Gülenist) movement, which the Turkish government blames for planning last year's failed coup attempt.

Turkish diplomatic authorities soon retaliated by announcing a reciprocal suspension of its own non-immigrant visa services at Turkish diplomatic offices in the US, effective immediately. Heightened geopolitical tensions between the two countries are expected in the coming weeks due to the mutual visa service suspensions.

Context

Turkish authorities have reportedly imprisoned over a dozen Turkish-American citizens in Turkey over the past year following the failed coup attempt. In total, since the July 2016 coup, some 60,000 people have been arrested, including journalists, public servants and human rights activists, and a further 145,000 have lost their jobs for their alleged ties to the Hizmet (Gülenist) movement - the alleged organizers of the coup attempt who have been at odds with Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Critics have denounced the increasing government crackdown on political opponents and/or dissenting voices as current president Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues to use the July 2016 failed coup as an excuse to extend his powers and prolong the state of emergency.

Advice

Individuals present in Turkey should stay abreast of the situation, contact their local diplomatic missions for more information, and adjust plans accordingly. Individuals are advised to remain alert in all large gatherings and to avoid any political demonstrations due to the latent potential for violence.