Turkey to impose visas on Syrians to reduce European migration

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu has announced in a document submitted yesterday to European officials that Turkey intends to impose visas on Syrians in order to mitigate their migration to Europe.

The document also informed leaders of the European Union (EU) that Turkey will introduce visas for Syrians beginning in January 2016 to curb the number of refugees coming to Turkey.

In a retaliatory move, Syria said in a statement by the Foreign Ministry and Expatriate Ministry that it would begin requiring visas from Turks entering the country, reversing a six-year agreement with Ankara that previously allowed visa-free entry to citizens of both countries.

“[Regarding] national sovereignty and pursuant to the principle of reciprocity, the Syrian government has decided on its part to cancel the aforementioned agreement and consequently not to allow Turkish nationals to enter Syria without a visa,” the Foreign Ministry’s statement read.

“The Turkish government is responsible for the consequences [of this decision] between the Syrian and Turkish peoples,” the statement continued, published by state news agency SANA.

“For the Syrian Kurds, requiring a visa by Turkey will not make any difference because the border crossings of Qamishli and Ras Al-Ain (Sere Kani) are closed since 2012 when fighting between the Kurdish forces and jihadis broke out,” a member staff of Foreign Relations Office in Ras Al-Ain told K24.    

Meanwhile, sources in Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speaking to a K24 reporter in Ankara, denied the reports suggesting that Turkey would start imposing visa requirements on Syrians, and reiterated that Turkey's “open-door policy” for Syrians is still valid.

“[There is not] a single change in the visa policies for Syrians, who are allowed to remain in Turkey visa-free for stays up to 90 days,” the sources explained. 

According to Syria Regional Refugee Response statistics released in 10 December 2015, the number of Syrian refugees in Turkey has reached 2,291,900 million. The decision to require visas, or close the border crossings and tighten security, is an indication of Turkey's unwillingness to bear the burden of additional refugees.