​Turkey-US visa crisis: If I knew, I’d tell you

TURKEY - In Brief 09 Oct 2017 by Atilla Yesilada

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I have been receiving a great deal of questions regarding the visa crisis between Turkey and US since this morning. It physically pains me not to write an analysis about it, but at this point I don’t have a handle on the crucial question of how this episode of tensions will play out. Yet the concomitant question of what will happen to TL is much easier to answer. At least three American citizens, led by Pastor Branson had been incarcerated in Turkey on Gulenism or related charges since last year’s coup attempt. While the State Department constantly brought up the issue with Turkish authorities, it had so far declined to take any punitive action. Hence, I noted the arrest of (Turkish nationality) Istanbul consular employee Mr. Metin Topuz on spying charges, but didn’t even bother to put it in our Weekly Report. I suspect the sudden decision to suspend all non-immigrant visa work in Turkish missions was caused by the news we heard only late today: Arrest warrant was issued for a second and unnamed Istanbul consular employee (Turkish nationality) today, whose wife and son had been detained in Black Sea city of Amasya. It stands to reason the American embassy knew about the warrant as early as Sunday and informed Washington DC. Then, the State Department might have thought were it not to intervene, Americans might be next. Unfortunately, as the American press claims, Turkey has this “hostage taking” policy, which has also poisoned the relations with Germany, 12 of whose citizens are currently in prison in Turkey under similar, and in my view totally trumped-up charges. Ankara hopes to swap these prisoners with Gulen in case of US and Gulenists in case of Germany. Despite r...