The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye, Hakan Fidan, has required that the EU facilitate some of the Schengen visa application rules, which, according to him, have been delaying the visa processes for Turkish nationals.
Moreover, Minister Fidan has also called on the EU authorities to issue long-term visas with multiple entries for its nationals.
We demand the immediate lifting of the restrictions that delay the visa processes of our nationals. The visas given to our nationals should be long-term, with multiple entries.
By demanding streamlined visa procedures as well as multiple entry visas with longer validity, Türkiye wants to improve the overall travel experience for Turkish nationals without the burden of frequent visa applications and long waiting times.
Apart from requiring the EU to facilitate some of the rules and issue visas with longer validity, Minister Fidan said that the country is also working on the matter.
As Hurriyet Daily News explains, he said that the authorities will be focused on modernising the customs union and work towards reaching a visa-free travel agreement with the EU.
The modernisation of the customs union and providing visa liberalisation for our citizens are our priorities.
Minister Fidan further stressed that the EU should acknowledge the efforts his country is making and take measures so that Turkish nationals are no longer subject to complex rules when needing a visa to enter the bloc.
Nationals of Türkiye have been complaining about long waiting times and the visa rules for some time now, saying that their applications are not being fairly processed.
A few months ago, a report from the Journalists’ Union of Türkiye said that Turkish journalists are facing increased restrictions when applying for visas.
Data show that the Schengen visa rejection rate for applicants from Türkiye increased from 15 per cent in 2022 to 50 per cent. Taking into account such an increase in rejection rate, the European Federation of Journalists raised concerns and urged all Schengen countries to facilitate its visa rules and not keep a discriminatory attitude towards Turkish journalists.
Last month, SchengenVisaInfo.com reported that Turkish nationals make up the majority of those who applied for a Schengen visa at German consulates between 2018 and 2022.
Nationals of Türkiye are the second-largest visa applicants for this period. However, they were the main applicants for German visas last year, submitting 223,699 visa applications.
