Turkey asks U.S. to reverse decision to halt visa services
Turkish officials on Monday asked the United States to reverse its decision to suspend non-immigrant visa services for Turkish citizens, saying people from both countries are suffering from the move.
The U.S. announced that it was suspending visa services on Sunday following the arrest of a consulate employee last week that deepened tensions between the two NATO allies. The measure prompted Turkey to halt visa services in the U.S. in a tit-for-tat response.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry official said Monday that the U.S. Embassy’s second-in-charge, Philip Kosnett, was called to the ministry, where officials conveyed “their expectations” for the United States to halt “the unnecessary escalation” of tensions and to reverse the decision that “victimizes” both Turkish and U.S. citizens.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules.
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