Mounting cases of Schengen visa denials have hit Turkish tour operators and travel agencies, leaving Turkish tourists forced to cancel their travel plans to Europe. “Nearly 40 tours we sold are canceled last month and we have 1,500 customers affected by this,” Alper Dağdeviren, a travel agency representative said.
In July, a Turkish lawmaker presented a report highlighting the mounting difficulties Turkish citizens face obtaining visas from European Union countries to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The report points out that the rate of denial for Turks applying for Schengen visas rose to 12.7% in 2020, from only 4% in 2014.
Turkish media outlets, which released details about the development, say Türkiye filed an objection to PACE over the “abuse of the Schengen visa system” by member countries. The report, presented to PACE by lawmaker Ziya Altunyaldız from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), raises objections to the “unnecessary and large amount of paperwork required for visas” and complains about high fees and the requirement the applications be submitted in-person. A PACE committee approved the report which will be classified as a “recommendation” by the assembly for member states. The report says Schengen zone countries effectively deny access to individuals and that the Schengen information system should have common, minimum standards. “Use of data in the system should not violate human rights, privacy and freedom of travel,” it says. The report cites the challenges experienced especially by businesspeople, “who face problems although they prove the accuracy of the purpose of their trips, the place of accommodation and their means of transportation.” It calls to prevent private information from being used against individuals applying for visas "based on political motives" and to end practices that stop individuals from attending cultural, social and scientific activities.
Dağdeviren says the consulates of European Union countries have been delaying visa applications due to a large number of applications. “There is a prejudice against Turkish citizens. Certainly, it is easier to get a visa if your paperwork is proper and if you traveled abroad at least once,” he told Demirören News Agency (DHA) on Thursday. He said appointments for visa interviews used to be scheduled within a few days before the COVID-19 pandemic but nowadays earliest appointments can only be scheduled one month later. “This affects our tour plans. Without visas, people can't join the tours,” he lamented. Dağdeviren highlighted that Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic and Spain were issuing the most visa denials. He added that they were suffering from financial losses amounting to 300,000 euros ($305,000) at times. “Visa application fees through intermediating agencies vary between 140 and 150 euros. We offer insurance policy for our customers and if you are denied visa, you can get back 80% of the fee you paid. But we are reluctant to organize new tours,” he said. “We already suffered from the cancellation of flights due to the coronavirus pandemic and just as the recovery process started for sector, we are facing this,” he said.
Hasan Yetik, another travel agency representative, says they have been seeing more delays in visa appointments. “In the past, an average of two people out of every 100 customers would have their visas denied but now this reaches to 30 at times. Our tours continue but we have financial losses,” Yetik said. He said the cause of denials was unclear. “For example, we had a customer for a Hungary tour recently, a doctor who was a frequent traveler abroad. Her application was rejected because they were not convinced with her paperwork. I don’t know what more she could do to get a visa. Such cases are more frequent now,” he said. Barış Öztürk, a travel agency official, says they are choosing to carry on with the tours although the number of customers with denied visas is high.
Seda Yıldırım, who works in the tourism business, was among those denied visa. She was planning on going on a vacation to the Greek islands. “I paid 150 euros and waited for 45 minutes and underwent a lengthy application procedure. One week later, they told me my application was rejected. Apparently, they did not believe that I would return to Türkiye. I just wanted to have a brief vacation,” she complained.
Türkiye has been striving to join the European Union for decades and seeks a visa liberalization deal with the bloc. So far, it has completed 65 of the 72 criteria required to launch the visa liberalization process which would allow Turkish citizens with biometric passports to enter Europe's Schengen area for stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period without requiring a visa.
In March 2016, Ankara and Brussels signed an agreement to reduce the number of migrants taking the dangerous Aegean Sea route to Europe and find a solution for the influx of migrants heading to EU countries. According to the deal, Türkiye was promised a total of 6 billion euros ($7.30 billion) in financial aid. It was initially designed to be given to the country in two stages and used by the Turkish government to finance projects for Syrian migrants. Visa freedom for Turkish citizens was also part of the agreement. In addition, the EU-Türkiye Customs Union was to be updated.
In exchange for these promises, Türkiye took charge of discouraging migration through the Aegean Sea by taking stricter measures against human traffickers and improving the conditions of Syrian migrants living in Türkiye. Despite its significant efforts to stem the migration, Türkiye has frequently noted that the EU has not fully delivered on its commitments stated in the deal and criticized the international community for its indifference to the migrant crisis.
