Ankara, Washington scale back each other's visa services

The two countries reduced visa services for each other's citizens after Turkey arrested a locally-hired staff member of the US consulate in Istanbul. As relations fray, the Turkish lira fell four percent against the US dollar in Monday trading.

The US embassy in Ankara has said it will suspend non-immigrant visa services across Turkey until it reassesses Ankara's commitment to the security of its staff.

 

The US mission in Turkey and subsequently the Turkish mission in Washington mutually reduced visa services after a locally-hired US mission employee was detained in Turkey last week.
The two sides said they needed to reassess each other's commitment to the security of their personnel.
The spat hit Turkey's currency on Monday as the lira fell four percent in early trading, pushing the dollar to a seven-month high at one point.
Alleged Gulen links
The US consulate employee in Istanbul was arrested on charges of alleged links to US-based Fetullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of orchestrating last year's failed military coup in Turkey, a charge Gulen denies.
Anadolu news agency identified the consulate employee as Turkish citizen Metin Topuz.
He was arrested late on Wednesday on charges of “attempting to overthrow the constitutional order and Turkey’s government,” and “spying,” a judicial source said.
His alleged links included police commissioners and fugitive former public prosecutor Zekeriya Oz, who had been accused of "forming an organisation to commit crime" and "attempting to overthrow the government by use of force."
Turkey is pressing for the extradition of the alleged leader of the July 2016 coup, in which more than 240 people were killed and another 2,000 wounded.

Ankara responds
Following the US reduction of visa services, the Turkish embassy in Washington responded with virtually the same statement.

Statement by the Embassy of Turkey in Washington, D.C. pic.twitter.com/YuGrdwcRFe

— TurkishEmbassyDC (@TurkishEmbassy) October 8, 2017

The Turkish foreign ministry last week said the US has no grounds to protest the arrest.
“He [Topuz] is neither a staff of the US Consulate nor does he have any diplomatic or consular immunity,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu said.