WASHINGTON: The United States and Turkey on Thursday turned the page on a visa crisis triggered nearly three months ago by the arrest of a staff member at the American mission in Ankara, but relations between the NATO allies remain tense.
The two sides announced the resumption of full visa services for each other?s citizens, but their statements revealed lingering misgivings between the countries, who are partners in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group. Washington said it had won assurances from Ankara that no further legal proceedings would be launched against its staff, though the Turkish embassy in the US capital insisted ?no such assurances have been given.?
Nevertheless, the State Department said it was ?confident that the security posture has improved sufficiently to allow for the full resumption of visa services in Turkey.?Washington said the measure was effective immediately. ?Within the framework of the principle of reciprocity, the restrictions placed from our side on the visa regime for US citizens are being lifted simultaneously,? said the Turkish mission in Washington.
12-29-2017, 06:00 AM
US, Turkey put end to visa spat
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