The U. S. Mission to Turkey says it’s suspending non-immigrant visas in Turkey, following the arrest of a consulate employee.
The U. S. Mission to Turkey says it is suspending non-immigrant visas in Turkey, following the arrest of a consulate employee.
The U. S. Embassy in the Turkish capital of Ankara tweeted a statement on Sunday saying that recent events have forced it to « reassess the commitment of the Government of Turkey to the security of U. S. Mission facilities and personnel. »
This week, Turkish authorities arrested a U. S. Consulate employee of Turkish nationality for alleged links to the network of U. S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen who the Turkish government blames for last summer’s failed coup. Gulen denies involvement. The embassy said it was « deeply disturbed. »
The statement said the suspension of non-immigrant visas was « effective immediately » to minimize visitor numbers to the U. S. Embassy and Consulate for now.
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