US and Turkey resume full visa services as dispute sparked by arrest ends
Updated
The US embassy in Turkey has announced it is resuming normal visa services for Turkish citizens, saying Turkish authorities fulfilled assurances no local staff would be detained or arrested for performing their duties.
Key points:
- US halted visa services after arrest of Turkish citizen employed at US embassy
- Metin Topuz was detained over his alleged ties to a US-based cleric
- Turkey retaliated by halting visa services in the US for Americans travelling to Turkey
Turkey reciprocated by restoring full visa services to Americans.
The United States had halted most visa services for Turkish citizens following the October arrest of a Turkish citizen employed at the US Consulate in Istanbul.
Turkey had retaliated by halting visa services in the US for Americans travelling to Turkey.
The diplomatic conflict aggravated tensions between the United States and Turkey, NATO allies that have seen their ties deteriorate since a coup attempt last year that the Turkish Government blames on a Muslim cleric who lives in the US.
After receiving assurances its locally employed staff members would not be arrested for performing duties such as communicating with Turkish officials, US diplomatic missions in Turkey began processing visas on a "limited" basis in November.
The embassy said on Thursday it was satisfied Turkish authorities had kept their promise to restore the full range of visa services.
It added that Turkey also followed through on assurances that Washington would be informed in advance if authorities intended to detain other staff members in the future.
"The Department of State is confident that the security posture has improved sufficiently to allow the full resumption of visa services in Turkey," the US embassy said in a statement.
Turkey accuses US of spreading misinformation
Turkey welcomed the US announcement, but denied giving the US any reassurances about any ongoing legal case.
A statement from the Turkish embassy in Washington also accused the US of spreading misinformation and insisted no locally employed embassy staff were being prosecuted for performing their official duties.
"We do not approve of the United States providing the Turkish and American public wrongful information," the statement read.
Metin Topuz, the consulate employee arrested in October, was detained on charges of espionage and alleged ties to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen.
He was the second local staff member at a US mission in Turkey to be held.
The US embassy denied the allegations against it.
The embassy said it remains concerned about the allegations levelled at the two staff members and other US citizens who were caught up in the Turkish Government's crackdown following the failed military coup.
Turkey accused Gulen of orchestrating the coup attempt but he denied involvement.
AP
Topics: world-politics, foreign-affairs, immigration, crime, turkey, united-states
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