Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday condemned the decision by the U.S. embassy to stop non-immigrant visa services in Turkey amid a diplomatic row.
"The embassy's decision to suspend all non-immigrant visa applications is upsetting," Erdogan said in a joint news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Porochenko in Ukraine's capital Kiev, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The president said he had suggested Turkish foreign ministry officials to response "based on the rules of reciprocity."
On Sunday, the U.S. Embassy in Ankara announced it had suspended non-immigrant visa services at all diplomatic facilities in Turkey. In response, Turkey's Washington Embassy subsequently suspended non-immigrant visa services in the U.S. citing security concerns.
The spat between the two countries was ignited by the recent arrest of Metin Topuz, a U.S. consulate employee in Istanbul who was accused of suspected links to the group of U.S.-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for the July 15, 2016 coup attempt that killed 249 people in Turkey.
Earlier Monday, Turkish foreign ministry summoned the undersecretary of U.S. Embassy, urging for an immediate reversal of the decision.
"The embassy's decision to suspend all non-immigrant visa applications is upsetting," Erdogan said in a joint news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Porochenko in Ukraine's capital Kiev, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The president said he had suggested Turkish foreign ministry officials to response "based on the rules of reciprocity."
On Sunday, the U.S. Embassy in Ankara announced it had suspended non-immigrant visa services at all diplomatic facilities in Turkey. In response, Turkey's Washington Embassy subsequently suspended non-immigrant visa services in the U.S. citing security concerns.
The spat between the two countries was ignited by the recent arrest of Metin Topuz, a U.S. consulate employee in Istanbul who was accused of suspected links to the group of U.S.-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for the July 15, 2016 coup attempt that killed 249 people in Turkey.
Earlier Monday, Turkish foreign ministry summoned the undersecretary of U.S. Embassy, urging for an immediate reversal of the decision.
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