US, Turkey Halt Visitor Visas As Diplomatic Spat Escalates

Turkish and US relations sink to new low as Trump and Erdogan face off

- Tugce Ozsoy And David Tweed

The US and Turkey each suspended visa services for citizens looking to visit the other country, a sharp escalation of a diplomatic spat that sent the lira down more than 6 per cent against the US dollar.

The moves followed the 4 October arrest of a Turkish national who works at the US consulate in Istanbul for alleged involvement in the July 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Hours after the Trump administration halted visa services in Turkey, Erdogan’s government responded in kind, even repeating verbatim much of the US statement.

Both sides said “recent events” had forced them to “reassess the commitment” of the other to the security of mission facilities and personnel. Only two weeks ago, US President Donald Trump had heaped praise on Erdogan when they met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, saying the Turkish leader “is becoming a friend of mine” and “frankly, he’s getting high marks.”