Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan informed lawmakers Thursday that Schengen visa applications from Turkish citizens have surged by 36% this year, but rejections have also increased.
During a session with the Parliamentary Plan and Budget Commission in Ankara, Fidan discussed the foreign ministry’s 2025 budget and addressed concerns raised by legislators over rising frustrations with visa denials. He pointed out that while the volume of applications has grown significantly, the rejection rate has also risen by 0.4 percentage points.
Fidan explained that the increased delays in processing visa applications were due to “two main factors:” a shortage of staff in European consulates and the rising political tension toward immigrants in Western countries, particularly in light of growing concerns about migration issues in the EU.
Despite the challenges, the foreign minister emphasized that the visa issue is part of a broader political and diplomatic situation between Türkiye and EU member states. “This is not just an issue between Türkiye and the EU. It’s a broader trend seen globally, and we are investigating if this is a case of special treatment toward us or just part of the general policy towards all countries,” he added.
Fidan shared statistics on visa rejections over the years. The rejection rates for Turkish applicants have steadily increased since 2014, when the average rejection rate for Türkiye was 4.4%. By 2021, the rejection rate reached 16.9% during the pandemic, higher than the global average of 13.4%. In 2022, the rejection rate for Turkish applicants was 15.7%, compared to 17.9% globally.
In 2023, over one million Turkish citizens applied for Schengen visas, with more than 48,000 applications rejected. Foreign Minister Fidan anticipates even higher numbers in 2024 due to growing interest in international travel.
He also noted the increasing number of Turkish citizens seeking to study and work abroad. In response, Fidan called for the implementation of a visa liberalization agreement between Türkiye and the EU, aiming to ease travel restrictions and strengthen bilateral ties.
Source: Daily Sabah
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
