The surge in the rejection rates for Schengen visa applications submitted by Turkish nationals is not specific to Türkiye, a spokesperson for the European Commission said Friday.
Responding to a question from Anadolu Agency (AA), Anita Hipper said: "I must clearly state that there is no special situation concerning Türkiye in this regard."
Hipper further said the delays in visa evaluation processes have occurred due to a backlog from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regarding whether the European Union will make any efforts to resolve the issue, Hipper stated that visa evaluations are always conducted on an individual basis and fall within the responsibility and jurisdiction of member states.
Delays and rejections mounted in the past year, blocking the travel of Turkish tourists to EU countries, while citizens of the country complain they cannot visit their spouses living in Europe.
In 2022, approximately 15% of Schengen visa applications made through missions in Türkiye were rejected, while this rate has risen to around 50% this year.
Türkiye and the bloc enjoy good trade ties and decades of migration; however, relations are strained over multiple issues, including the prolonged process of modernization, expansion of the scope of the current customs union agreement and EU policies on refugees from Syria. Before the coronavirus pandemic, Schengen states received more than 900,000 visa applications annually from Türkiye, but that figure dropped to around 270,000 in 2021.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan previously described the visa problem with some Western countries as "political blackmail," saying the issue will be resolved soon.
