For Ikra Altümsek, as many other Turks, a quick visa-on-arrival scheme to visit several of Greece's Aegean islands has greatly simplified travel to the neighboring country and the corner of the European Union, previously off-limits without a hard-to-get Schengen visa.
"I think Samos was the perfect place to start," the 21-year-old university student said, wheeling her luggage alongside her mother as they waited for a ferry off the Greek island of Samos.
They were heading back to Kuşadası, on Türkiye's Aegean coast after a sun-drenched vacation, Altümsek's first trip abroad.
With its turquoise waters, quiet coves, traditional villages and waterfront restaurants, Samos, situated just opposite the Turkish coast, combines beaches and natural beauty with a rich cultural heritage, including ancient sites linked to Pythagoras, one of the most famous figures of the ancient Greek world.
Turkish-flagged boats carrying tourists are a constant presence along the waterfront, arriving and departing throughout the day, highlighting the steady flow of Turkish visitors to the Greek island.
"The food is delicious. I have a 17-year-old son, and he keeps asking me, 'Mum, when are we going to Greece to eat?'" said Nevin Çağlıgüney, 51.
Among the visitors are young travelers discovering the island for the first time, as well as families. Many restaurants display Turkish-language menus outside their entrances.
Introduced in April 2024, the visa-on-arrival scheme, known in Türkiye as the "door visa" (kapı vizesi), initially covered 10 Greek islands before being renewed and expanded to 12 last year.
The list of islands, all near the Turkish coast, includes Rhodes, Chios and Kos.
It allows Turkish citizens to visit participating islands for up to seven days without obtaining a full Schengen visa in advance, but cannot be extended and does not permit onward travel to mainland Greece or to other Schengen-area countries.
"Getting a Schengen visa is becoming increasingly difficult for Turks, but this new system makes it easy and fast for us to visit the Greek islands," said Emirhan Gürses, a 21-year-old student from Manisa.
Nearly 1.5 million Turks visited the country in 2025, up from 1.2 million in 2024, according to Bank of Greece figures. Turkish travel agents say most of them took advantage of the express visa to see the islands.
For many Turks, it has offered an affordable alternative at a time when inflation has made holidays at home more expensive.
During a visit to Ankara in February, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hailed the scheme as "particularly successful."
"In the last year alone, hundreds of thousands of Turkish friends have traveled to the Greek islands, bringing our peoples closer together," Mitsotakis said, adding that both countries want to renew the program.
The island visa is a bright spot in an otherwise tense backdrop between the two NATO allies and neighbors, and not just because of the centuries-old Greek-Turkish rivalry.
Ankara recently complained about Athens shutting down Turkish-language schools, while Athens, in turn, has been irritated by Türkiye's "Blue Homeland" bill, with which Ankara aims to secure its maritime rights.
The visa-on-arrival scheme comes as Turkish demand for travel to the European Union has outpaced the capacity of many consulates to process Schengen visa applications, leaving applicants facing long waits, rising costs and uncertainty over approvals.
For tour guide Mikail Esabalioğlu, a Greek resident of Samos originally from Istanbul, Turkish visitors have become an increasingly important part of the island's tourism economy.
"We receive many Turkish guests, especially from Izmir and other parts of Türkiye's Aegean coast," he said.
But the program could be improved even further, he said "because visitors sometimes have to wait a long time at the entrance and the arrival process can be difficult."
Samos business owner Giannis Kagias said Turkish visitors had "made a big difference" to the island's economy.
"Our Turkish friends who come here are a great support," he said, adding: "Without Turkish visitors, I think the situation for businesses on the island would be much more difficult."
Selim Zuberi, a 38-year-old consultant from Mersin, said the program was also important for bringing people from the two neighboring countries closer.
People can "experience each other's cultures", he said.
"History has had its conflicts, but we should not carry those burdens forever. We should enjoy life."
