US visa suspensions follow row over US consulate employee's arrest

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Turkish authorities plan to question a second Turkish national who works at the US consulate in Istanbul, on suspected ties to last year's failed military coup, Turkey's state news agency reported. This comes after the arrest of a US consulate worker last week, which then set off a diplomatic row between the two countries.

This latest crisis escalated on Sunday when the US embassy in Ankara announced it was suspending non-immigrant visa services. The embassy statement said it needed to reassess "the commitment of the government of Turkey to the security of US mission and personnel." Only hours later, Turkey followed suit and issued a near identical statement, suspending ITS processing of visas.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the issue at a news conference and explained why he ordered his staff to reciprocate while traveling in Ukraine on Monday.

"Before anything else, this decision is very saddening. The implementation of such a decision by the US ambassador in Ankara is very saddening. Turkey is a state of law, not a tribal state," he said.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures as he delivers a speech at his ruling political party's conference in Afyonkarahisar province in western Turkey, Oct. 7, 2017. /AP Photo

The move by Washington came days after Turkey arrested an employee of the US consulate in Istanbul on charges of links to the organization led by Fethullah Gulen, the Muslim cleric in self-exile in the US, which Ankara believes is behind the failed coup attempt last year. The US has said the arrest charge was baseless.

John Bass, US Ambassador To Turkey said on Monday, "Here is what led us to take this decision: Last week, for the second time this year, a Turkish staff member of our diplomatic mission was arrested by Turkish authorities. Despite our best efforts to learn the reasons for this arrest, we have been unable to determine why it occurred or what, if any, evidence exists against the employee."

US ambassador to Turkey John Bass delivers a speech at the ambassador's residence in Ankara. /AFP Photo

Meanwhile, some experts in Turkey say, in this current dispute, the US has gone too far.

"In terms of bilateral relations between Turkey and the US, we have now hit rock bottom. This decision by the US affects Turkish citizens directly and aims for them to question the Turkish government's actions. For the first time the US has made a move that will cause difficulties for the Turkish society," said Oguz Demir, an expert in international relations.

The Turkish-US relations have been unsteady for quite some time now. Ankara was furious last month when the US federal prosecutors indicted a former Turkish minister of economy for conspiring to violate US sanctions on Iran.

And there are major issues of security as well: Turkey has been harshly critical of the US for arming the Syrian Kurdish group YPG in their fight against ISIL, as Ankara sees the YPG as a terrorist organization. Furthermore, Ankara has been calling for the extradition of Fethullah Gulen, deemed by Ankara as the mastermind of last year's failed coup in Turkey. Washington has rejected the call so far.

Though the Turkish Foreign Ministry has summoned the US embassy undersecretary to resolve this latest visa crisis, it's not looking likely that relations will return to normal any time soon.

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