The most significant number of Schengen visas was issued to citizens of Türkiye in 2023, compared to 2022 statistics, according to the Head of the European Union delegation to Türkiye, Nikolas Meyer-Landrut.
His comments came during a forum in the central Anatolian province of Kayseri on March 4, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
Assessing 2023, Türkiye received the highest number of Schengen visas compared to previous years. Therefore, overcoming these challenges requires not just a policy but practical measures.
Meyer-Landrut also emphasised the strong economic relations between Türkiye and the EU, adding that last year, the trade volume between EU Member States and Türkiye surpassed €206 billion, as reported by Hürriyet Daily News.
Furthermore, in terms of investment, in 2022, the European Union provided 70 per cent of the foreign direct investment in Türkiye. In 2023, we still maintained the largest share of investment in Türkiye, with approximately 53 per cent.
Facilitating Visa Procedures for Turkish Nationals
Türkiye and the EU have tightened cooperation in order to further ease visa procedures for Turkish nationals. In December 2023, Deputy Foreign Minister of Türkiye, Mehmet Kemal Bozay, said that the country’s representatives initiated talks with their EU counterparts on visa facilitation.
According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, authorities in both territories have discussed new ways to facilitate visa hurdles. At the same time, Türkiye pushed for a facilitated Schengen visa application process for students, as well as artists, businesspeople, academics and media professionals, among others.
In November 2023, the European Commission proposed taking more steps to ease the Schengen Visa application process for citizens of Türkiye. During the same month, The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye, Hakan Fidan, also urged the EU to ease some of the visa application rules, which he considers have been delaying the visa processes for Turkish nationals.
Turkish Citizens Were Top Beneficiaries of Schengen Visas in 2022
Statistics from the European Commission’s Migration and Home Affairs revealed that in 2022 and 2021, Turkish citizens were the top beneficiaries of Schengen Visas.
The same source reveals that in 2021, a total of 271,997 visas were issued to Turkish citizens, while in 2022, the number significantly increased, reaching 778,409.
Migration and Home Affairs figures also reveal that in addition to Türkiye, the following countries account for the top five in terms of the number of visa applications.
